Systematic Analysis of Tactical-Forensic Methods of Ensuring the Safety of Participants in Preliminary Investigation

The issue of ensuring the safety of participants in a preliminary investigation during the conduct of investigative actions is among the most topical in contemporary forensic scholarship. Procedural security measures enshrined in Part 3 of Article 11 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation establish the legal framework for the protection of participants in a preliminary investigation; however, their practical implementation in specific investigative situations requires the use of appropriate tactical-forensic methods. At the same time, post-criminal unlawful pressure is most frequently exerted on witnesses and victims, which creates a demand for a scientifically grounded system of forensic recommendations that would ensure the effective application of security measures in the course of investigative actions. The subject of the research is tactical-forensic methods employed by the investigator to ensure the safety of participants in a preliminary investigation during the conduct of investigative actions. The purpose of the study is to formulate an original definition of a tactical-forensic method of safety assurance, to systematize specific methods used in the conduct of individual investigative actions, and to propose their scientific classification. The methodological basis of the research comprises general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, systems approach), as well as special forensic methods, including the comparative-legal method, the method of modeling investigative situations, and the formallogical method. The result of the study is an author’s definition of a tactical-forensic method of safety guarantees, incorporating the attributes of scientific validity, lawfulness, rationality, purpose orientation, and situational conditionality, as well as a classification of such methods according to four criteria: by type of investigative action; by direction of tactical impact; by source (scientific basis) of the method; and by the subject of application. The findings are applicable to investigative practice, to the scientific and methodological support of the activities of investigators and inquiry officers, and to the teaching of forensic disciplines. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, for the first time, a comprehensive classification of tactical-forensic methods of ensuring the safety of participants in a preliminary investigation is proposed, thereby filling an existing gap in forensic science. The principal conclusion is that the proposed classification enables the investigator to make a targeted choice of the optimal tactical-forensic method, taking into account the type of investigative action, the nature of the threat, the available forensic tools, and the possibility of involving additional actors.