NCJ Number
83814
Date Published
1982
Length
74 pages
Annotation
Research on criminal investigation in the 1970's, particularly the controversial Rand Corporation study, raised serious questions about detectives' effect on crime. This literature review reports findings that contributed to the beleaguered state of the once-glorified detective and includes suggestions for Canadian research.
Abstract
The three-volume Rand study, published in 1975, involved a survey of 153 police departments and several studies regarding investigations of serious felonies. Its major findings (e.g., that training, organization, workload, and procedures appeared to have no impact on crime, arrest, or clearance rates and that more than half the crimes reported received no substantial attention) created great turbulence within police departments. However, many departments were already looking into the effectiveness of their investigative procedures. Multnomah County, Oreg., and Rochester, N.Y., had begun experimenting with new approaches, including formal screening to single out the most solvable cases and the use of alternative deployment strategies. Stanford Research Institute developed a mathematical model for screening burglary cases, and, in 1976, the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (NILECJ) designated Managing Criminal Investigations (MCI) one of its principal training topics and developed a field test implemented at five sites. Among MCI's basic premises were interdepartmental cooperation, greater investigative responsibility for patrol officers (particularly for followups), and case screening. The 1980's promise continued research into unexplored areas, such as investigative activity in non-citizen-initiated cases. Canadian research, far behind the United States, should begin with the collection of national baseline data. Fifty-seven references are included, and a 252-item bibliography cites monographs and periodicals from the 1950's, 60's, and 70's. Subjects covered include evidence and procedure, history, management and organization, rural investigations, and studies of the investigation process.