NCJ Number
121279
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Police detectives are involved in both proactive and reactive efforts, intervening in the planning phase of a crime, during its commission, or during the escape and fugitive phases.
Abstract
Reactive detectives are responsible for establishing a case, identifying and locating the suspect, obtaining a confession if possible, and disposing of the case. Proactive detectives function in the same way, except that instead of obtaining a confession they try clandestinely to develop knowledge about or a relationships with a criminal. Cases range from those in which the suspect has been identified and located to those that initially have no suspects. The bureaucratization of the police and the increasing due process requirements have gradually changed the role of detective to that of a clerk, although a few function proactively and covertly. However, the detective function has probably never been an efficient or effective way to apprehend criminals. Police effectiveness is determined more by the complexity of the problem than the methods used to solve it, and thus police tend to focus on easy problems. Many questions about the detective role remain unresolved, but a change in their role is unlikely. 6 references.