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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 9:06 pm
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Results for police investigation
10 results foundAuthor: Sigsworth, Romi Title: Tracking Rape Case Attrition in Gauteng: The Police Investigation Stage Summary: This report describes the characteristics of reported rape in Gauteng province, as well as the processing of rape cases by the police and courts at selected courts and police stations. One of the study’s key findings was that 45% of rape cases never proceed beyond the police to the courts. This follow-up report analyses in greater detail the police investigation of rape cases in Gauteng and the resultant case attrition at the police investigation stage. Details: Braamfontein, South Africa: Center for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, 2009. 66p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: South Africa URL: Shelf Number: 117659 Keywords: CourtsPolice InvestigationRape (South Africa)Sexual Assault |
Author: Bolick, Clint Title: Justice Denied: The Improper Clearance of Unsolved Crimes by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Summary: One of the most effective ways to measure a law-enforcement agency’s performance is by the percentage of crimes it solves, known in legal circles as its “clearance rate.” Criminal investigations can be cleared in one of two ways: by arrest or by “exception.” Clearances by exception must meet rigid criteria that the FBI has used for 80 years. Essentially, the perpetrator must be known to the police but cannot be apprehended due to special circumstances such as the suspect’s death. Although the criteria governing exceptional clearance are clear and objective, some law-enforcement agencies skirt the rules of exception to clear cases that do not meet the criteria, essentially declaring unsolved crimes solved to inflate the agency’s clearance rate. Clearing cases that have not been solved deprives crime victims of justice and may compromise public safety. The recent Goldwater Institute report "Mission Unaccomplished: The Misplaced Priorities of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office" presented substantial evidence that the Maricopa County Sherriff’s Office (MCSO) is improperly clearing cases by exception, possibly on a very large scale. The East Valley Tribune, in its Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative series, reported that in 2006 MCSO closed three times as many cases by exception as by arrest. The Tribune investigated MCSO case files and found that many were cleared without investigation. MCSO officials told the Tribune that an internal investigation was ongoing. But two years later the Arizona Republic reported that MCSO only cleared 18 percent of its 7,200 cleared cases by arrest, suggesting that the misuse of exceptional clearance may be unabated. The Goldwater Institute has urged the legislature to require local law-enforcement agencies to report and post current and accurate crime statistics, including clearance rates broken down by arrests and exceptional clearances. This supplemental brief was precipitated by the emergence of a real-life victim of MCSO’s improper clearance of a serious crime. Details: Phoenix, AZ: Goldwater Institute, 2009. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief, No. 09-03: Accessed March 8, 2011 at: http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/Common/Img/052109%20Bolick%20Justice%20Denied.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/Common/Img/052109%20Bolick%20Justice%20Denied.pdf Shelf Number: 120895 Keywords: Clearance Rates (Arizona)Police Investigation |
Author: Mallory, Stephen L. Title: The concept of asymmetrical policing Summary: This paper examines the intelligence process and the strategies of problem-oriented policing, community policing, broken windows theory and Compstat. Each of these strategies requires more than just information. They require collection and dissemination of intelligence products and adjustments to meet the needs of different department and agencies. The research suggests that there is a lack of understanding by many police officers in the United States of the intelligence process and the value of analytical products to policing. There is a recognized need for training of police in the U.S. to achieve identification and understanding of crime, the trends and threats, and the nature and extent of the law enforcement response by employing critical thinking, or what is termed the intelligence process and intelligence-led policing. The paper introduces a new concept, asymmetrical policing, which is a response to the asymmetrical threats encountered by modern policing and the application of a variety of evolving strategies to modern policing. Details: International Police Executive Symposium, 2007. 21p. Source: IPES Working Paper No. 12: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 31, 2012 at http://www.ipes.info/wps/WPS%20No%2012.pdf Year: 2007 Country: International URL: http://www.ipes.info/wps/WPS%20No%2012.pdf Shelf Number: 123884 Keywords: Intelligence GatheringIntelligence-Led PolicingPolice InvestigationPolice Training |
Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Title: Missing children: who cares? The police response to missing and absent children Summary: Each year thousands of children go missing from their homes. The majority of them will return, or be found soon after they have been reported missing. There are many reasons why children go missing. On very rare occasions they may be abducted. All children who go missing are potentially at risk of harm, and a significant number, because of their circumstances, will face the risk of sexual, criminal or economic exploitation. Although not every child who goes missing is at risk of sexual exploitation and not every child who is at risk of sexual exploitation goes missing, the two are inter-linked. It is often the most vulnerable children who are sexually exploited, and who are targeted by those who intend to commit crimes against them. These children may have been abused or neglected, lack affection or have already experienced trauma in their lives. A number will be in the care of the local authority because of serious concerns about their well-being or the risks they face. Responding to missing incidents places a high demand on police time. Managing this demand is a major challenge for police forces but the consequences of not investigating cases can be extremely serious, leaving some children at risk of exploitation and/or significant harm. Effective outcomes in police responses to children at risk of abuse require specific skills and knowledge and excellent partnership working, in particular with children's social services. But more than this, effective outcomes rely on recognition, by all in the police service, that children are inherently vulnerable by virtue of their age, and that those who come into contact with police for any reason are often the most vulnerable. As the Chief Inspector of Constabulary observed in his recent State of Policing report, the work of the police in child protection is probably the most onerous and demanding of all police work, and it is the most important simply because children have the most to lose. Recent revelations about the scale of child sexual abuse, whether online or involving high-profile individuals, institutions or local communities, have presented the police with a complex challenge. Many crimes go unreported and those who are vulnerable often have greater difficulty in bringing their concerns to the attention of those who are able to help them. In its protective and preventative role, the police service has the responsibility to root out crime and the circumstances in which it may be committed, particularly where the victim is vulnerable, afraid or actively prevented from seeking help. Our inspections in relation to missing and absent children have found some good approaches with prompt action to find missing children and joint work to protect them. However, our principal finding was of inconsistencies in properly assessing risks, managing investigations, and providing support and help to the child. Consequently, our conclusion must be that this is leaving some children at unacceptable risk of harm. This report focuses on the experiences and outcomes of police contact for children who go missing. For the first time, we publish findings from HMIC-commissioned research on children's experiences of police contact. While we found clear evidence of positive experiences and outcomes for some children, we found a weighting towards negative experiences in the majority of cases. In particular, we found evidence of some police officers' negative attitudes towards missing children, which determines their responses, and in turn undermines children's confidence in the police service as a source of protection and help. These findings signal an imperative for cultural change in the police service if children and young people who run away from home or care are to have trust that the police will help them, and if the police are to be better able to afford them that protection. Details: London: HMIC, 2016. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/missing-children-who-cares.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/missing-children-who-cares.pdf Shelf Number: 145394 Keywords: Child ProtectionMissing ChildrenMissing PersonsPolice InvestigationPolice ResponseRunaways |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: The "Crime Gun Intelligence Center" Model: Case Studies of the Denver, Milwaukee, and Chicago Approaches to Investigating Gun Crime Summary: The last two years have seen dramatic spikes in homicides and other violent crimes in many U.S. cities. Among the more than fve dozen large jurisdictions surveyed by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), homicides rose 15.6% in 2015 and another 9.8% in 2016. And while much of the overall increase can be attributed to a few cities, the fact remains that homicides rose in nearly two-thirds of the jurisdictions the MCCA surveyed over the last two years. There is one common element in almost all of these cities: much of the recent increase in violent crime is being driven by increases in gun crime. As this report documents, not only did the total number of homicides in the U.S. rise between 2010 and 2015; the percentage of homicides committed with a frearm also went up, from 68% in 2010 to 71% in 2015. A similar trend occurred with aggravated assaults: more reported crimes and a higher percentage of them committed with a gun. Even as gun crime has risen in recent years, attempts to stem the flow of firearms or restrict criminals' access to weapons through legislative approaches such as universal background checks have had mixed results. In some states, in fact, lawmakers have made it easier for more people to buy, own and conceal-carry firearms. This political reality has left police executives in the challenging position of trying to reduce gun violence largely through their own enforcement and prevention efforts-all at a time when the number of firearms in their communities continues to grow. A variety of strategies have been undertaken over the years, but success has been uneven. One recent development in the battle against gun violence has shown promise, however. That involves the use of technology to streamline and support police enforcement and investigatory efforts against criminals who carry guns. This report examines one of these promising technology-based applications: the Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) model. CGICs are an interagency collaboration among local police departments, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and other partners such as state and local prosecutors, to identify perpetrators of gun crime for immediate investigation, apprehension, and prosecution. CGICs combine state-of-the-art analytical technology, data processing systems, and good old-fashioned detective work to help police agencies more quickly analyze ballistic evidence, establish connections among seemingly unrelated crimes, and build criminal cases targeting both gun traffickers and trigger-pullers. Specifcally, CGICs rely on the swift processing of data from ATF's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which allows law enforcement to link ballistic evidence to multiple incidents in which the same frearm was used, and eTrace, which allows for the tracing of recovered firearms back to their original manufacturer and purchaser. These technologies allow law enforcement agencies to generate investigative leads and apprehend "active shooters" in the community. This report profiles CGIC programs in three cities: Denver, Milwaukee, and Chicago. While these cities follow the same basic approach, each jurisdiction has put its own variations on the model. These are designed to maximize effectiveness and meet the unique needs of each community. For example, given the robust capabilities of its crime lab, Denver police can process ballistic entries, review NIBIN correlations, and even confirm evidence "hits," all in-house. This has drastically reduced investigatory turnaround times in many instances. To best utilize resources, the Milwaukee Police Department has devised a comprehensive system of prioritizing NIBIN cases for follow up and delegating them to appropriate investigative units. This ensures leads are pursued by relevant investigators to achieve the best investigative outcomes. Chicago, on the other hand, has adopted a more de-centralized and collaborative approach, in which different partners are responsible for various aspects of the process. This approach is helping the police department keep up with processing ballistic evidence from the large number of frearms it recovers each year. (Chicago police seized more than 8,000 firearms in 2016, more than the number in New York City and Los Angeles combined.) To support the analysis of inoperable guns it recovers, Chicago police also maintain a parts lab that allows for these weapons to be reconstructed, test-fired and then entered into NIBIN and eTrace for matching and tracing. CGICs are not a panacea, and the three cities we examined continue to face serious challenges with gun violence. However, our work revealed that CGICs are an innovative and promising approach for enhancing the investigation of gun crimes and identifying offenders. Our examination found that turnaround times for evidence analysis have been reduced, and agencies' capabilities for connecting guns to crimes that may appear unrelated at frst have improved. Much work remains to refne and expand the CGIC model, but the experiences in Denver, Milwaukee, and Chicago provide a solid foundation from which to build.. Details: Washington, DC: PERF, 2017. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 20, 2017 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/crimegunintelligencecenter.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/crimegunintelligencecenter.pdf Shelf Number: 146313 Keywords: Gangs Gun Trafficking Gun Violence Gun-Related Violence Guns Homicides Police Intelligence Police InvestigationViolent Crime |
Author: Green, David B. Title: A Different Shade of Blue: An .Evaluation of the Civilian Detective Concept and Its Impact on Police Capabilities Summary: Financial distress and shrinking police candidate pools have diminished cities' abilities to protect the public. This thesis examines the manner in which cities have adapted by using civilians to perform the duties of sworn detectives-specifically, whether this practice enhances cities' contributions to public safety. Nine law enforcement organizations across the country that applied this policy were analyzed. It focused on cost implications, impacts on investigative and emergency response capabilities, job qualifications, training standards, scope of duties, and overall efficacy. Similar themes include the ability of cities to reduce costs and to achieve equivalent work output from civilian personnel. Dissimilar themes surrounded the reasons cities adopted the policy and how they trained the personnel. From the analysis, this thesis determined that the use of civilian personnel does enhance cities' contributions to public safety. This thesis also identified a need for a uniform national framework for policy adoption and for state peace officer accrediting commissions to develop guidelines for training and certification. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2016. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed June 21, 2017 at: http://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/48528 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/48528 Shelf Number: 146330 Keywords: Civilian EmployeesCosts of PolicingDetectivesPolice Civilian EmployeesPolice InvestigationPolice PersonnelPolice RecruitsPolice Training and Education |
Author: Independent Advisory Group on the Use of Biometric Data in Scotland Title: Report of the Independent Advisory Group on the Use of Biometric Data in Scotland Summary: The report of the Independent Advisory Group on the Use of Biometric Data which provides recommendations on a policy and legislative framework for police use of biometric data and associated technologies, and rules around retention. The advisory group, chaired by John Scott QC, was established by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice to consider the recommendations contained in HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland's Audit and Assurance Review of the Use of the Facial Search functionality within the UK Police National Database (PND) by Police Scotland report, and provide recommendations on a policy and legislative framework. The report makes 9 recommendations which include the creation of an independent Scottish Biometrics Commissioner, the establishment of a statutory code of practice covering biometric data and technologies and a review of the existing retention rules (with distinct policies applied to children aged 12 to 17). A Scottish Government response is published alongside the report Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government, 2018. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 10, 2018 at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/03/9437/downloads#res533063 Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/03/9437/downloads#res533063 Shelf Number: 149748 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationFacial RecognitionPolice InvestigationPolice Technology |
Author: Big Brother Watch Title: Smile you're on body worn camera. Part II - Police. The use of body worn cameras by UK police forces Summary: Smile you're on Body Worn Camera Part II - Police reveals for the first time the investment police in the UK have made in equipping frontline officers with body worn cameras. Since 2010 the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and politicians have enthusiastically promoted the roll out of body worn cameras. The public have been told the technology is a critical tool in reducing violence against officers, improving transparency in police/public relations, assisting the police with the number of guilty pleas they obtain and will play an essential role in speeding up justice by being used as evidence in court. Off the back of such enthusiasm we felt it necessary to investigate how many police forces had invested in the technology, how many cameras were being used by frontline staff and if the benefits lived up to the promises promulgated by the various groups. Responses to our Freedom of Information request reveals that 71% have adopted the technology, with a total spend of $22,703,235 on 47,922 body worn cameras. This is a huge increase from 2010 when the police told us in response to a Freedom of Information request that they had spent $2.2million on 2,843 cameras. 1 With such an increase in investment it would be logical to assume that the police had determined conclusively that the technology was indispensable and worthy of such substantial spending, and that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) could show the extent to which footage from body worn cameras has benefitted conviction rates. However, this is not the case. Neither the police nor CPS could provide us with data relating to the use of footage in criminal proceedings. This makes it impossible to verify the promise of improved convictions based on the use of the technology. Furthermore, publicly available findings from the police regarding the outcome of the trials of the technology reveal inconclusive proof of the benefits to frontline policing and the public, and ongoing concerns with the technology itself. Meanwhile, academic research shows that the way the cameras are deployed can impact the safety and security of the police and public alike. If the plan for future policing is to provide every frontline officer with a body worn camera, proof of purpose is vital. Our findings reveal that such proof is far from conclusive. In light of our findings we make three policy recommendations: 1. Data must be collated and published to show how often body worn camera footage is used as evidence during court proceedings and in obtaining early guilty pleas. 2. Forces must publish regular transparency reports to show how body worn cameras are being used in day to day policing. 3. Forces should ensure that all body worn cameras deployed feature a visual aid and screen showing clearly when the citizen when they are being filmed. Protection of data when at rest or in transit must be standard. Key Findings Based on responses from 45 police forces2 - 47,922 body worn cameras have been purchased by UK police forces. - 32 Forces (71%) use body worn cameras. - 4 Forces (9%) were in the process of beginning trials or were planning on rolling out body worn cameras for the first time. - 6 forces (12%) do not use body worn cameras and do not have any trials or roll outs planned. - In total $22,703,235 has been spent on body worn cameras. - Neither the CPS nor the police told us how often footage has been used in court proceedings. - 19 forces use body worn cameras made by Reveal. - Axon (formerly trading as Taser International), supply 26,935 cameras to forces, including the three largest police forces in England the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police and West Midlands Police. - 3 forces provided us with information relating to trials of body worn cameras which had been undertaken. Details: London: Big Brother Watch, 2017. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2018 at: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Smile-Youre-on-Body-Worn-Camera-Part-II-Police.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Smile-Youre-on-Body-Worn-Camera-Part-II-Police.pdf Shelf Number: 149980 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasCriminal InvestigationsPolice AccountabilityPolice InvestigationPolice SurveillancePolice Technology |
Author: Herbert, James Title: National comparison of cross-agency practice in investigating and responding to severe child abuse Summary: The response to severe child abuse (namely abuse requiring police investigation) requires many different workers across agencies and disciplinary backgrounds to work together effectively. This paper reports on the arrangements in place in each state/territory to support a cross-agency response based on characteristics associated with effective cross-agency responses identified in the research literature. This paper was prepared to provide practitioners and policy makers with a national view on cross-agency policies to encourage cross-jurisdictional learning and sharing of approaches. The authors also hope that this paper will lead to a national discussion around effective policies and practices in cross-agency responses. Each state/territory was compared on the characteristics of their response to severe child abuse, arrangements for joint planning, interviewing and investigation, the degree of integration of therapeutic and supportive services, and governance arrangements. Details: Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2017. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: CFCA PAPER NO. 47: Accessed August 30, 2018 at: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/publication-documents/47_national_comparison_of_cross-agency_practice_in_investigating_and_responding_to_severe_child_abuse.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/publication-documents/47_national_comparison_of_cross-agency_practice_in_investigating_and_responding_to_severe_child_abuse.pdf Shelf Number: 151314 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionCriminal InvestigationPolice Investigation |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Title: Amber Alert: Field Guide for Law Enforcement Officers Summary: Reports of endangered missing and abducted children may be among the most difficult, challenging, and emotionally charged cases that law enforcement first responders and investigators will ever experience. Each stage of the case, from the initial call through recovery, forms a critical component of a thorough child recovery response. Public safety agencies must provide their This guide is designed to help law enforcement better understand how to avoid or mitigate critical pitfalls in a child abduction case. These can include delays in requesting an AMBER Alert due to officers not knowing whom to call and what core information to provide for an effective alert. It is also critical for law enforcement officers to know that it is okay to call the AMBER Alert Coordinator early in the case to discuss options for the alert, even as information is coming together in the investigation. staff with the tools and training that enable them to act swiftly and decisively when confronted with these types of cases. An immediate and comprehensive response enhances the likelihood of accumulating evidence or information that might otherwise be lost during the critical, early stages of an investigation. As first responders in a missing child investigation, local law enforcement plays a critical role in the overall life cycle of the investigation and the use of the AMBER Alert public notification system, if warranted. The AMBER Alert system is useful only when agencies know how and when to activate an alert. Agency policies and procedures should clearly outline the investigative response to a missing child, to include the procedures and lines of authority for requesting an AMBER Alert. Law enforcement's investigative processes are inherently separate and different from the AMBER Alert process in a child abduction case. They may involve different agencies, personnel, and timing; however, they are still inextricably connected and interdependent if an AMBER Alert is ultimately issued. An effective initial response by law enforcement feeds the core information to the authorities who can issue an AMBER Alert. A successful alert, in turn, will trigger a significant influx of tips and leads in the case. This guide is designed to help law enforcement better understand how to avoid or mitigate critical pitfalls in a child abduction case. These can include delays in requesting an AMBER Alert due to officers not knowing whom to call and what core information to provide for an effective alert. It is also critical for law enforcement officers to know that it is okay to call the AMBER Alert Coordinator early in the case to discuss options for the alert, even as information is coming together in the investigation Details: Washington, DC: Author, 2019. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 5, 2019 at: https://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/252795.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/252795.pdf Shelf Number: 156839 Keywords: Amber Alert Missing and Abducted Children Missing Children Police Investigation |