UK Policing on Murder Investigation - Essay Example

Evaluate efforts that have been made to improve the effectiveness of murder investigations within UK policing. Most murders in UK can be difficult to solve, and detectives may confront them by changing their investigation process. Over the years, UK has seen a significant change in the way investigations are carried out. These reforms have been introduced to tackle poor investigation procedures at crimes scene, the collection of information, communication with the victim’s family and dealing with forensic evidence (Hagborg, 2012, p, 162). The police in England and Wales have made a step in improving the quality of murder investigations by conducting reviews of investigations carried out by the authorities. In the year 1989, the Wales and Northern Ireland recommended that reviews be done in all murder cases that are undetected after a period of 28 days (Snook, 2010, p, 80). This policy was aimed at identifying and developing investigation opportunities; that would improve the quality of results and be a form of assurance to the process and content of the murder investigation. It was also aimed at improving and promoting good investigative practice (Jones, 2008, p, 208). This concept of reviewing murder was initially adopted from the Byford Report in 1981 due to failures in the investigation into murders committed at the time. The 2004 UK Report referred to the weaknesses identified for review documents and grouped the failures in six themes. The first theme was an investigative response, which was an area of weakness. It was established that initial action at the scene, suspect management, and information gathering was done poorly. The other themes were forensics, record keeping, information gathering. Staffing resources and internal and external communication within the victim’s family. This particular report stated that the investigative process was flawed in decision making especially in high-pressure situations (Jones, 2008, p, 210) UK has tried to develop efficient strategies that promote effective handling of murder scenes by the police investigators. Police investigations have significantly benefited from the thoughts and opinions of independent experts. In UK, The British Home Office established errors in the lack of progress in the case of Yorkshire Ripper murder inquiry where an external review committee included a civilian. The Forensics scientist Stuart King, who used an analytical approach that studied the locations and times of the crimes and established that the killer was from Bradford (Kind, 1987, 1999).It was believed that the offender was from the distant Sutherland area. From this case, the UK investigative authorities adopted reviews by independent experts to establish no bias in the investigative process. UK has fully adopted outside reviews in a murder investigation. This is especially in unsolved homicide cases after one year. This ensures the assigned detective is aware of the review policy and leaves no possibilities unexplained. The UK policing have made efforts in creating committees that do a follow-up of serious murder cases in UK to ensure impartiality. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is a non-departmental public body in England that handles all complaints made against police officers. This independent body has created confidence in the public, and it ensure that the police carry out their investigations with impartiality and without any bias (Porter, 2012, p, 426). Police who work in high-pressure environments are susceptible to conditions where they must meet their objectives. They may be forced to deviate from standard operating procedures that are accepted as working investigative practices. This normalization is not seen as malicious, but a sign of expediency to achieve performance goals in pressured situations. In such scenarios, flaws may be identified in the investigation process, and the right conclusions may not be made (Rossmo, 2012, p, 550). Another area that is flawed in murder investigations is record keeping. Therefore, there have been efforts to improve systematic recording as an important aspect of management of murder investigation. The police are being trained to improve policy filing and skillfully prepare reports, which serve as critical records of associated cases. As a result, UK has significantly made efforts in improving their murder investigation practices and policies to ensure proper results (Bennell, 2009, p, 66). Recording the process of murder investigation and lines of inquiry is another issue that has been improved by UK policing in a murder investigation (Ormerod, 2012, p, 375). Recording includes crime scene logs, questionnaires like house-to-house, official forms, and documents. The police have ensured that there are official forms that such procedures should adhere to. The efforts made have ensured that such formats with such documents must adhere and guidelines when they can be used. They are rule son how such documents should be maintained and completed (Marksteiner, 2012, p, 542). Other reforms have been in the area of forensics. There have been developments in forensics technologies, and this has opened new possibilities in a murder investigation.UK policing has adopted such policies in their investigation and has improved the quality of results. This has led to training of police officers in handling evidence and being careful in identifying and handling physical evidence at murder scenes (PEPPER,2009, p,23) The police are careful in such procedures since success of murder investigation depends on the validity and relevance of evidence collected (Ask,2010,p,550). The police in UK have appreciated the value of the public in solving murder cases and, therefore, have made efforts to have good relations with the public. UK has seen a rise in gang-related murders and therefore they have made efforts to enhance community approach to help them investigate and reduce such murders (Hagborg, 2012, p, 162). They have applied co-ordinate leverage to gangs this has in turn promoted community relations. The police have tried to engage gang members and create intermediation services that protect victims and repeat victims. The police have created groups that sensitize the community and the gangs on the negative effects of their actions of gangs and the risk they pose to the community and member of their gangs (Hagborg, 2012, p, 165). Conclusion Generally, UK investigation agencies have identified barriers to murder investigation. They have formulated ways in which such errors can be dealt with. They have introduced study-based training that promotes an open- inquiry that promotes impartial and neutral investigation. Such training is aimed at ensuring investigation conclusion is not based on inconclusive data and have ensured routine, systematic debriefings for murder cases. Such practices have improved the quality of murder investigation in UK that has reduced inaccuracies and incompetence by police investigators. Although bias plays a key role in murder cases, such reviews for unsolved murders and having expert investigators has reduced bias by investigators. 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