The Criminal Investigation Process

Volume III: Observations and Analysis

Peter W. Greenwood, Jan M. Chaiken, Joan R. Petersilia, Linda L. Prusoff, R. P. Castro, Konrad Kellen, Sorrel Wildhorn

ResearchPublished 1975

Third in a series of volumes relating the results of a two-year study of police criminal investigation practices and their impacts, this report presents a comprehensive description of current investigative practices (based on data gathered in the course of the study) and an analysis of related effectiveness issues. Approaches to measuring investigative effectiveness are evaluated, findings from previous research are presented, and a sample of cases is used to determine which activities are primarily responsible for the solution of various types of cases. The relationship between the thoroughness with which evidentiary facts are documented by the police and the eventual outcome of the case is examined, as well as the attitudes of victims toward various investigative strategies and the amount of feedback information they would like to receive. The role of physical evidence collection and processing is analyzed, and fingerprint identification sections in three cities are compared.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1975
  • Pages: 204
  • Document Number: R-1778-DOJ

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Greenwood, Peter W., Jan M. Chaiken, Joan R. Petersilia, Linda L. Prusoff, R. P. Castro, Konrad Kellen, and Sorrel Wildhorn, The Criminal Investigation Process: Volume III: Observations and Analysis. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1975. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R1778.html.
BibTeX RIS

This publication is part of the RAND report series. The report series, a product of RAND from 1948 to 1993, represented the principal publication documenting and transmitting RAND's major research findings and final research.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.