Capturing knowledge of police investigations: towards a research agenda

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to articulate a set of interlinked research propositions about knowledge management systems in relation to police investigations and in particular the possibilities of capturing the investigative knowledge inherent in how experienced police understand the investigative process. Moreover, the paper addresses missing links in the literature between 'know-what' and 'know-how' relationships between knowledge management systems and police investigations. A series of policy recommendations are also outlined in relation to this research agenda.Keywords: stages of growth; value shop; knowledge resources; detectives; investigative thinking styles; investigation performance; communities of practice; tacit knowledge Introduction Capturing the knowledge that underpins a police investigation is a key task for an investigator. In fact, catching criminals cannot happen until an investigator first captures the 'knowledge' provided by forensics, intelligence, and interviewing victims, witnesses, and interrogating suspects.Hence, this paper is a hypothesis building exercise into how to best capture the sort of investigative knowledge which is more likely to promote successful police investigations. We conceptualize from a research point of view how investigative knowledge can be surfaced in the thinking styles of detectives/investigators and linked to knowledge management systems and the technologies that underpin knowledge creation and transfer.Given that our focus is limited to the investigative dimension of policing this does not imply that policing is only about crime control nor does it downplay the importance of community policing, public order maintenance, and the protection of civil liberties and human rights which is central to the notion of policing in a democracy (Engel & Burruss, 2004).The importance of this paper lies in the set of innovative research propositions presented and discussed which seek to address the missing links in the literature between 'know-what' and 'know-how' relationships between knowledge management and police investigations. 'Know-what' has stressed the importance of knowledge in police work. This paper makes a much-needed contribution to 'know-how' as it explores and sets out a future empirical research agenda about how to capture investigative knowledge in order to better manage police investigations.Initially, the paper outlines the propositional methodology used to hypothesize about the two interlinked domains of research interest -that of police investigations and knowledge

A Police Officer’s Tacit Knowledge Inventory (POTKI): establishing construct validity and exploring applications

“…Taylor et al Concurrent with this nationwide shift, research has found that the typical academy curriculum accounts for only 10% of the variance in post-Academy performance (Caro, 2011), and researchers within the police profession have called for the development and implementation of professional knowledge management systems that better capture knowledge based upon on-the-job experience, in other words: tacit knowledge (Dean, Fahsing, Glomseth, & Gottschalk, 2008). Thus, in addition to the nationwide 'recalibration' of training procedures as the profession evolves under a new policing philosophy, police professionals are exploring ways to better manage the explicit and tacit knowledge necessary to effective problem-solving (Donavant, 2009;Dean et al, 2008).…”

“…One might think of explicit knowledge as the codified consensus opinions and tacit knowledge of past experts and modern tacit knowledge as the basis for the renewal of explicit knowledge which is a continuing process that takes advantage of growing expertise in a healthy profession that constantly has to adjust to a changing real world environment. Among police officers, tacit knowledge is an individual officer's practical skills, competencies, and experience (Dean et al, 2008). Higher levels of tacit knowledge have been found to predict performance across a number of domains, using a variety of criteria (Hedlund et al, 2006;Sternberg & Kaufman, 1998).…”

“…Higher levels of tacit knowledge have been found to predict performance across a number of domains, using a variety of criteria (Hedlund et al, 2006;Sternberg & Kaufman, 1998). Dean et al (2008) call for strategies to manage and disseminate tacit knowledge among police professionals to better build expertise.…”

Knowledge-Based Policing: Augmenting Reality with Respect for Privacy

“…Following an interpretive-constructivist perspective, knowledge is viewed from the perspective of knowing to emphasize the role of know-how (Dean et al 2008;Orlikowski 2002;Tsoukas 2000) in addition to know-what and know-why in acquiring and using knowledge through practice and experience (Dean et al 2008;Gottschalk et al 2009). In this perspective knowing how and practice are mutually constitutive, thus dynamically co-evolve through time (Nissen 2006;Orlikowski 2002).…”

Whistle-blowing in the police

“…In the future, capturing knowledge of police misconduct will be of increasing importance to sustain and improve the reputation of the police (Dean, Fahsing, Glomseth, & Gottschalk, 2008). In Norway, there is no other public agency enjoying higher levels of trust than the police.…”