Unit 3 AC1.1- Evaluate the effectiveness of the roles of
personnel involved in criminal investigations
● 45 minutes total
● Choose 4-5 personnel- 10 minutes each
● Discuss how effective these roles can be during an investigation
● Effectiveness should be considered in the context of: cost, expertise and availability
Police Officers
Describe briefly:
● Usually the first personnel called to the crime scene
● Their initial actions are crucial in ensuring everyone's safety
○ They must safeguard the public and attend to anyone with injuries
○ They have to secure the crime scene to conserve any evidence- this means evidence should not
be touched, removed or tampered with
● The period immediately after a crime has been discovered is referred to as the “golden hour”
○ This is when officers must act quickly and carefully to preserve the scene and take any
statements from witnesses while the events are still clear in their minds
○ If police are able to secure the scene quick enough, then there will be little to no contamination
of evidence, which is vital for a successful and accurate investigation
● Officers must also gather enough evidence for the CPS to prosecute, for example: door-to-door
questioning, arresting and interviewing suspects and supporting victims- this helps for a successful
prosecution
Case: Stephen Lawrence -use as limitation
● Details: Stephen was an 18 y/o black man, in 1993 while with his friend Duwayne, he was attacked by 5
white men who were calling him racial slurs. He suffered two 5 inch stab wounds, and died near to
where he was attacked while trying to escape.
● What the police did wrong: did not give him first aid on scene; although Duwayne pointed towards
where the murderers went, no proper search was conducted; house-house searches were not
conducted although it was believed the suspects lived locally; police treated his parents as “gullible
simpletons” and told them very little about the investigation; the police were more interested in
Stephen’s background as they believed he was up to no good, rather than moving forward to find the
killers; delayed making arrests despite tip-offs given, claimed they had no hard evidence, few local
witnesses were questioned and suspect interviews were short and cursory.
● What effect did the Macpherson Report have on police: the report concluded that the investigation into
Stephen Lawrence's murder had been “marred by a combination of professional incompetence,
institutional racism and a failure of leadership”- it named specific officers and criticised the entire police
force. 67/70 of its recommendations successfully resulted in changes in practice/ the law within 2
years of the reports publication. Also created the Independent Police Complaints Commission who had
the power to appoint its own investigators. This helped to improve the police force so officers act in
ways which are compliant to people of different backgrounds, and treat every case the same way.
● However, this case also highlights the institutional racism within the police force and how certain
people are treated differently due to their race. As a result, people may feel unsafe when encountering
police, they may also be doubtful and distrusting of officers. Less crimes will be reported and police
officers will not be called to crime scenes.
personnel involved in criminal investigations
● 45 minutes total
● Choose 4-5 personnel- 10 minutes each
● Discuss how effective these roles can be during an investigation
● Effectiveness should be considered in the context of: cost, expertise and availability
Police Officers
Describe briefly:
● Usually the first personnel called to the crime scene
● Their initial actions are crucial in ensuring everyone's safety
○ They must safeguard the public and attend to anyone with injuries
○ They have to secure the crime scene to conserve any evidence- this means evidence should not
be touched, removed or tampered with
● The period immediately after a crime has been discovered is referred to as the “golden hour”
○ This is when officers must act quickly and carefully to preserve the scene and take any
statements from witnesses while the events are still clear in their minds
○ If police are able to secure the scene quick enough, then there will be little to no contamination
of evidence, which is vital for a successful and accurate investigation
● Officers must also gather enough evidence for the CPS to prosecute, for example: door-to-door
questioning, arresting and interviewing suspects and supporting victims- this helps for a successful
prosecution
Case: Stephen Lawrence -use as limitation
● Details: Stephen was an 18 y/o black man, in 1993 while with his friend Duwayne, he was attacked by 5
white men who were calling him racial slurs. He suffered two 5 inch stab wounds, and died near to
where he was attacked while trying to escape.
● What the police did wrong: did not give him first aid on scene; although Duwayne pointed towards
where the murderers went, no proper search was conducted; house-house searches were not
conducted although it was believed the suspects lived locally; police treated his parents as “gullible
simpletons” and told them very little about the investigation; the police were more interested in
Stephen’s background as they believed he was up to no good, rather than moving forward to find the
killers; delayed making arrests despite tip-offs given, claimed they had no hard evidence, few local
witnesses were questioned and suspect interviews were short and cursory.
● What effect did the Macpherson Report have on police: the report concluded that the investigation into
Stephen Lawrence's murder had been “marred by a combination of professional incompetence,
institutional racism and a failure of leadership”- it named specific officers and criticised the entire police
force. 67/70 of its recommendations successfully resulted in changes in practice/ the law within 2
years of the reports publication. Also created the Independent Police Complaints Commission who had
the power to appoint its own investigators. This helped to improve the police force so officers act in
ways which are compliant to people of different backgrounds, and treat every case the same way.
● However, this case also highlights the institutional racism within the police force and how certain
people are treated differently due to their race. As a result, people may feel unsafe when encountering
police, they may also be doubtful and distrusting of officers. Less crimes will be reported and police
officers will not be called to crime scenes.
