Art, Craft and Science of Detective Work

Tong, Stephen; Bowling, Ben

doi:10.1350/pojo.2006.79.4.323

Cited by 44 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Rather than examining the criminal investigation process itself, some studies have examined the skills required by detectives to perform this process. These studies tend to focus on whether detective work is best described as an art, craft or science (e.g., Carson, 2009;Innes, 2003;Reppetto, 1978;Tong & Bowling, 2006). The depiction of detective work as an art aligns closely with the popular conception of a detective having innate, non-concrete, characteristics such as intuition and instinct, that training and education can do little to improve (Reppetto, 1978).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a more effective detective

Westera

Kebbell

Milne

et al. 2014

Policing and Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Word count: 8,959Effective detective 2 AbstractThe characteristics that detectives believe are required to be an 'effective detective' were explored in this study. A Repertory Grid Technique and Critical Incident Technique were used to explore in detail the views of experienced detectives (N=30) from five different police services in Australia and New Zealand about what makes an effective detective. The findings suggest detectives hold a complex and challenging role that requires eleven key skills. By far the most important factor was communication skills; particularly how to communicate effectively with a variety of people varying from victims and suspects to colleagues and scientific experts. High levels of motivation and thoroughness closely followed communication as essential skills. The implications of these findings for the recruitment, training and management of detectives are discussed.Effective detective 3 Detectives are entrusted with a serious and onerous role. The investigations they conduct are relied on to identify and convict those guilty of inflicting the most serious of crimes. The stakes are high. Poor investigation may result in dangerous offenders remaining free to commit more harm and even the false conviction of the innocent (Gross et al., 2005). Also important is the way detectives go about their work. Their responsiveness to victims, who are often the most vulnerable members of our society, has been found to effect victim satisfaction with the justice system as a whole (Jordan, 2004;Patterson, 2011). Further, investigations into high profile cases often attract intense public interest and scrutiny, which means that how detectives conduct themselves is likely to impact on public perceptions of police as a whole (Innes, 2003). For these reasons it is essential that the skills, abilities and personal characteristics that combine to make a detective effective are identified. Identifying what these factors are has profound implications for how the detective role is conceptualised and the recruitment, training and management of detectives. Despite the recognised importance of detective work, to date, few empirical studies examine the less tangible skills, abilities and other characteristics that differentiate between those detectives who perform the role effectively and those who do not. The present research attempts to address this gap by exploring the views of experienced detectives in Australia and New Zealand. Criminal investigation is one of the least researched areas in policing (Brodeur, 2010), but is attracting growing attention as evidenced by the recent special issue of Policing and Society, "Homicide Investigation: International Research and Insights" (2013; Volume 23, Issue 3). The work of Innes (2003) and Brodeur (2010) has helped provide theoretical frameworks for criminal investigation. Acknowledging the complexity of criminal investigation, Innes (2003) focused specifically on homicide by observing five investigations, interviewing investigators and Effective detective

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a more effective detective

Westera

Kebbell

Milne

et al. 2014

Policing and Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…They suggest a quasi-scientific model. However, Tong and Bowling (2006) identified 'art,' alongside 'craft' and 'science' in their model of police investigators' skills. If the 'art' is understood as requiring knowledge of, and skills in, epistemology and reasoning, then, it is submitted, detectives should be proud of and motivated by their creative duties.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Abduction of Sherlock Holmes

Carson

2009

International Journal of Police Science & Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

All criminal investigations, and resulting trials, rely upon inferential reasoning. Theories, hypotheses and conclusions, are drawn from the evidence. The victim's blood was on the knife; we infer it was the murder weapon. The suspect's fingerprints are on the knife; we infer he killed the victim. Sherlock Holmes, although a fictional character, remains renowned as a great detective. However, his methodology, which was abduction rather than deduction, and which is innocently used by many real detectives, is rarely described, discussed or researched. This paper compares and contrasts the three forms of inferential reasoning and makes a case for articulating and developing the role of abduction in the work, and training, of police officers.

show abstract

“…These developments, alongside the creation of the College of Policing, demonstrate that police knowledge is no longer reliant exclusively on experience and 'craft', with no contribution from science. Instead, it is increasingly conceptualised as a combination of 'art', 'craft' and 'science' (Innes, 2010;Tong & Bowling, 2006;Tong, Horvath & Bryant 2009). We use the term science here in its broad sense to refer to a variety of perspectives and insights from academic research, and as such having an important role to play in the development of research informed practitioners.…”

Section: Knowledge Knowing and Culturementioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of context and cognitive agency in developing police knowledge

Wood

Cockcroft

Tong

et al. 2017

The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper argues the current exposition of police knowledge through the discourses of police science and evidenced based policing (EBP) leads to exaggerated claims about what is, and can be, known in policing. This new orthodoxy underestimates the challenges of applying knowledge within culturally-mediated police practice. The paper draws upon virtue epistemology highlighting the role cognitive agency plays in establishing knowledge claims. We challenge the assumption that it is possible to derive what works in all instances of certain aspects of policing and suggest it would be more apt to speak about what worked within a specific police context.

show abstract

Art, Craft and Science of Detective Work

Cited by 44 publications

References 10 publications

Towards a more effective detective

Towards a more effective detective

The Abduction of Sherlock Holmes

The importance of context and cognitive agency in developing police knowledge

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About