A.C 1.1: Evaluate effectiveness of the roles of personnel involved in criminal investigation
Role of Police
When discussing the role of the police, the first thing to mention is that they are always first to arrive
at a crime scene. This is so that the crime scene can be secured for investigation, to prevent
contamination. Preserving evidence is crucial if it is later needed in court – as it could be the deciding
factor in guilt or innocence. By setting roadblocks to divert traffic, or by putting barricade tape
around the crime scene, people will be aware there is a crime scene, and will therefore not
contaminate the evidence. A police officer will also interview witnesses, victims, or suspects, to gain
information needed for further investigation, otherwise valuable intelligence could be lost, that later
in court could have been relied upon. The police have the power to, if they feel someone is acting
suspicious near a crime scene, stop and search, which is fundamental in the apprehension and
prevention of crime. It too will instil confidence in the public to know that the police are maintaining
law and order in their local area. It may be required of a police officer to testify in court what they
witnessed at the scene and what intel they gathered, this to assist the court in discovering the truth.
Within the police force there are specialised policing, such as Counter Terrorism Policing whose job
according to www.counterterrorism.police.uk, is to help protect the public and our national security
by preventing, deterring, and investigating terrorist activity. It also has the specialist's unit of the
Criminal Investigation Department (CID), who deal with the more serious crimes, such as suspicious
deaths, robbery and will assist other specialists' agencies like underwater teams.
Effectiveness of Police
A limitation of the police is the institutionalised racism, regarding the Metropolitan Police Force
according to the Macpherson Report in The Guardian on the 22nd of February 2019. In concluded
that the investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawerance has been “married by a combination of
professional incompetence, institutional racism and failure of leadership.” This denunciation means
that people of the BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnicity) community will have less confidence in
police and will be less likely to trust the police in handling any investigations. Another article by The
Guardian on the 2nd of May 2021, detailed a funding crisis within the police, as a 19% funding cut to
the police since 2010, meant that 45,000 officers and staff were lost. The absence of police officers,
jeopardises public safety as laws are not being enforced, resulting in more opportunities for
criminals to commit crimes. Along with a shortage of staff means failure to investigate certain crimes
– such as rape. The Guardian highlighted in an article on the 17 th of December 2019 that fewer than
35% of rape cases in 2019 resulted in a charge, compared to 2017 which was 56%. These
percentages show that police are not investigating rape cases effectively. As a result, victims of rape
are likely to feel that reporting a rape will be ineffective because the person responsible will not be
reprimanded. The Independent on the 2nd of December 2020 produced an article stating that there
was low job satisfaction amongst officers. With the Police Federation reporting that 59% of
respondents would not recommend the police, and 20% would. Plus, a survey found that two-thirds
of rank-and-file officers would not recommend their job either. This may be due to the 30,000
recorded assaults on police officers in England and Wales in 2019/20, according to
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, which could hinder people wanting to become a police officer in
the future. Meaning the possibility for an increase in crime rate and a lack of investigations.
Furthermore, the case of the Hillsborough disaster highlights when the police can act improperly in a
criminal investigation. An inquest in 2016 found that the polices wrongful actions caused or
contributed to the disaster and the victims’ deaths. This is referring to an exit gate being opened,
which led to an invasion of fans entering the standing pens, crushing 97 people to death.
Role of Police
When discussing the role of the police, the first thing to mention is that they are always first to arrive
at a crime scene. This is so that the crime scene can be secured for investigation, to prevent
contamination. Preserving evidence is crucial if it is later needed in court – as it could be the deciding
factor in guilt or innocence. By setting roadblocks to divert traffic, or by putting barricade tape
around the crime scene, people will be aware there is a crime scene, and will therefore not
contaminate the evidence. A police officer will also interview witnesses, victims, or suspects, to gain
information needed for further investigation, otherwise valuable intelligence could be lost, that later
in court could have been relied upon. The police have the power to, if they feel someone is acting
suspicious near a crime scene, stop and search, which is fundamental in the apprehension and
prevention of crime. It too will instil confidence in the public to know that the police are maintaining
law and order in their local area. It may be required of a police officer to testify in court what they
witnessed at the scene and what intel they gathered, this to assist the court in discovering the truth.
Within the police force there are specialised policing, such as Counter Terrorism Policing whose job
according to www.counterterrorism.police.uk, is to help protect the public and our national security
by preventing, deterring, and investigating terrorist activity. It also has the specialist's unit of the
Criminal Investigation Department (CID), who deal with the more serious crimes, such as suspicious
deaths, robbery and will assist other specialists' agencies like underwater teams.
Effectiveness of Police
A limitation of the police is the institutionalised racism, regarding the Metropolitan Police Force
according to the Macpherson Report in The Guardian on the 22nd of February 2019. In concluded
that the investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawerance has been “married by a combination of
professional incompetence, institutional racism and failure of leadership.” This denunciation means
that people of the BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnicity) community will have less confidence in
police and will be less likely to trust the police in handling any investigations. Another article by The
Guardian on the 2nd of May 2021, detailed a funding crisis within the police, as a 19% funding cut to
the police since 2010, meant that 45,000 officers and staff were lost. The absence of police officers,
jeopardises public safety as laws are not being enforced, resulting in more opportunities for
criminals to commit crimes. Along with a shortage of staff means failure to investigate certain crimes
– such as rape. The Guardian highlighted in an article on the 17 th of December 2019 that fewer than
35% of rape cases in 2019 resulted in a charge, compared to 2017 which was 56%. These
percentages show that police are not investigating rape cases effectively. As a result, victims of rape
are likely to feel that reporting a rape will be ineffective because the person responsible will not be
reprimanded. The Independent on the 2nd of December 2020 produced an article stating that there
was low job satisfaction amongst officers. With the Police Federation reporting that 59% of
respondents would not recommend the police, and 20% would. Plus, a survey found that two-thirds
of rank-and-file officers would not recommend their job either. This may be due to the 30,000
recorded assaults on police officers in England and Wales in 2019/20, according to
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, which could hinder people wanting to become a police officer in
the future. Meaning the possibility for an increase in crime rate and a lack of investigations.
Furthermore, the case of the Hillsborough disaster highlights when the police can act improperly in a
criminal investigation. An inquest in 2016 found that the polices wrongful actions caused or
contributed to the disaster and the victims’ deaths. This is referring to an exit gate being opened,
which led to an invasion of fans entering the standing pens, crushing 97 people to death.
