NCJ Number
87432
Date Published
1971
Length
78 pages
Annotation
This study used analytical data to evaluate the complete investigation process in the Orange County Sheriff's Department (Florida) from initial investigation by field deputies to completion by investigators.
Abstract
Case sheets revealed that in 10 out of 12 offenses examined, the field officer's task of getting the report into the system (writing, dictating, and typing) takes one-third of the total time devoted to the case. Such a disproportionate amount of time spent completing a report coupled with the deputy district attorney's response to the practicality of discovery report writing would appear to argue for termination of discovery report writing. Instead of telephonic reporting, field officers should block print or neatly write their reports. Additional analysis revealed that in 9 out of 12 offenses examined over 75 percent of the cases were cleared, closed, or inactivated after less than 30 minutes of investigative work. Since the investigative work done on most cases ejected in less than 30 minutes is mechanical in nature, the work would be better performed by personnel other than the investigator. Moreover, elimination of some or all of the administrative and perfunctory tasks presently assigned to detectives would increase their work capacity. Study data and 26 references are furnished. (Author summary modified)