Investigating a Crime

The Police and the Investigation of Crime

(1) The police are the officers of the state who have the task of the investigation of crime. Indeed, they see it as central to their job even though, in reality, non-investigative work takes up most of their time.

(2) In carrying out this work the police have a great deal of discretion. The basic powers of a police officer arise from the status of the office constable. This means that the police officer does not simply act as directed like a normal employee. In addition, the task in hand also lends itself to exercising discretion. Although the police are expected to investigate crime not every crime, which is detected, is expected to result in a formal action. In addition, a basic function of the police is to keep the peace which again, requires sensitivity and common sense rather than legalistic intervention at all times.

(3) When investigating a crime, the main choice of strategies has been presented as between reactive and proactive policing.

The reactive approach involves the police in responding to public calls for help. It has the advantages that the police operate openly and in response to real public demand, with the consent of the public. When not answering calls the police are expected to be patrolling openly to deter wrongdoing. The police have traditionally approached policing in this way and, it is important to realise that most crime is reported by, and detected, on the basis of information from members of the public. The police are heavily dependent on public co-operation - it is far more important than any legal powers to detect crime. However, it has been pointed out that the strategy, (especially patrolling is very inefficient), that the police rarely bump into criminals who are on their way home from a burglary!

The proactive approach involves building up pictures of threats to the peace, potential criminality through the targeting of potential criminals, and the surveillance of them. Intelligence is vital so that threats can be identified and appropriate counter-measures are taken. But this information may or may not come from the general public. Rather, this form of policing tends to involve specialist squads e.g. drugs and fraud squads, who are reliant on the analysis of crime patterns and information from informants. The dangers with this form of policing are that it is secretive and so less accountable, that the targets are selected out of prejudice.

In reality both forms of policing are practiced at the same time and there is a compromise between them. On one hand patrolling and reactive policing is felt to have limited impact against serious or professional crime, which must be the target of proactive policing. On the other hand, public tranquillity and reassurance are important goals, which can be addressed by strategies such as visible patrols. This duality of objectives is reflected in the key national objectives set for the police by the Home Office. The Home Secretary's key objectives for policing concentrate on major issues, which are of concern to the public.