NCJ Number
32155
Date Published
1975
Length
199 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT IS THE THIRD IN A THREE-PART SERIES OF VOLUMES RESULTING FROM A TWO-YEAR NATIONWIDE STUDY OF POLICE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION PRACTICES AND THEIR IMPACTS.
Abstract
THIS VOLUME PRESENTS A COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION PROCESS (BASED ON ALL DATA GATHERED IN THE COURSE OF THE STUDY) AND AN ANALYSIS OF EFFECTIVENESS ISSUES. A DISCUSSION OF HOW INVESTIGATIONS ARE TYPICALLY CONDUCTED COVERS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INVESTIGATORS, THE PROCEDURES THEY FOLLOW, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER POLICE ACTIVITIES. VARIOUS APPROACHES TO MEASURING INVESTIGATION EFFECTIVENESS ARE ALSO CONSIDERED, AND FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCH ARE SYNTHESIZED AND PRESENTED. THE DISTRIBUTION OF INVESTIGATORS' EFFORTS AMONG VARIOUS ACTIVITIES AND HOW CASES ARE ACTUALLY SOLVED ARE DESCRIBED BOTH QUALITATIVELY AND STATISTICALLY, USING THE KANSAS CITY CASE ASSIGNMENT FILE AS ILLUSTRATION. OTHER TOPICS EXAMINED ARE APPROACHES TO COLLECTING AND PROCESSING LATENT FINGERPRINTS FROM CRIME SCENES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TECHNIQUE FOR IDENTIFYING SYSPECTS, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THOROUGHNESS OF EVIDENTIARY FACTS DOCUMENTED BY THE POLICE AND THE EVENTUAL OUTCOME OF THE CASE, AND THE ATTITUDES OF VICTIMS TOWARD VARIOUS INVESTIGATIVE STRATEGIES AND THE AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK INFORMATION THEY RECEIVE. SUMMARY OUTCOME DATA FOR TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF INVESTIGATIVE STRIKE FORCES DEALING WITH ROBBERIES AND BURGLARIES IS ALSO PRESENTED AND DESCRIBED. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS A DISCUSSION OF THE GENERAL LITERATURE OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION, SELECTED EXAMPLES OF INVESTIGATIVE PRACTICES, AND EXAMPLES OF MODEL INVESTIGATION REPORTS. A SIX-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. FOR VOLUMES ONE AND TWO, SEE NCJ-32153 AND 32154. A REPORT ON AUTOMATED CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INFORMATION SUPPORT SYSTEM IS NCJ-32156.