Factors influencing police performance in the investigation of volume crimes in England and Wales

Abstract

This paper examines the investigation of volume crime cases and the processes of attrition through the investigative process using quantitative and qualitative data. More than 3000 burglary and motor vehicle cases in eight Basic Command Units in England and Wales, along with interview and documentary data, were analysed to identify the factors related to detection. Results indicated that whether an offender was caught at the scene; number of sources giving a name; number and types of forensic materials available; and number of other potential leads significantly increased the likelihood of detection. Implications of the research for police performance are discussed.

Evaluating the effects of resources and solvability on burglary detection

“…The exception is that, in Oxfordshire, as in Manchester city (Donnellan, 2011) forensic evidence plays a rather greater role than in this study and others (e.g. Robinson & Tilley, 2009;Tilley, et al, 2007), an issue considered below.…”

“…In pointing to the cases most and least likely to be detected, solvability characteristics also provide an explanation of why cases are solved and, if resource inputs are also measured, provide the bases for assessing the importance of resources and offence solvability in accounting for detection outcomes, and determining the cost-effectiveness of investigative procedures, the objectives of this study. Assessments of offence solvability based on officer experience dominate current practice (Robinson & Tilley, 2009). They may be in line with solvability factors identified from statistically-based screening, but, at best, are likely to be less rigorously applied.…”

“…Given imperfect knowledge of case solvability and reliance on experience-based solvability assessment (e.g. Robinson & Tilley, 2009), which may not always be systematically applied, the potential of some solvable cases may not be fully exploited, while resources may be spent on less solvable ones, including those which police services must generally attempt to solve (e.g. Eck, 1983;Brandl and Frank, 1994;Klinger, 1997;Jansson, 2005).…”

Effective Police Homicide Investigations

“…Process mapping, as developed out of the scientific management school of thought (Taylor, 1911), allows for detail to be applied to the sequence and flow of complicated tasks that in sum are required to achieve desired ends. Such an approach is ideal for examining successful homicide investigation practices and has been employed by other scholars to quantify police investigations generally (Robinson & Tilley, 2009) and homicide investigation processes more specifically (Innes, 2002). A homicide investigation consists of a complex array of tasks that must be performed, initially, over a short period of time, often under significant stress.…”

A Model for Managing Crime Scene Examiners

“…CSE deployment, management and performance have been shown to vary significantly throughout police forces in the UK (Robinson and Tilley 2009;Williams 2004). In some forces, Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) or Scientific Support Managers (SSMs) have discretionary control over CSE attendance; in other jurisdictions attendance is determined by force policies (e.g.…”