Investigation Method

All investigation follows a process. Regardless of how it starts, the one common factor in any investigation is this: information exists that must be found or developed with the intention of arriving at a conclusion.

Different incidents require different approaches. A sex crime has its own routine, as does fraud, a murder, or an assault. Notwithstanding the specific nature of a crime or incident report, there is a general process to be followed in any investigation. The following advice is a general ‘template’ for an investigation. Understanding the general process will result in a better understanding and application of the specifics in any investigation described in later modules. It would be worth taking a moment, when studying later modules, to refer back to this module to compare the specifics to the generic template.

The Investigation Process
The first task in any investigation is – find out exactly what is being reported. Obtain as much detail as it is possible to obtain before making any hypothesis as to the likely conclusion. Any hypothesis made before all of the available information becomes available is an assumption, and nothing more.

How is this done?
The first source of further information in an investigation is the individual making the report or providing the intelligence. This individual is a source or a witness, and needs to be fully interviewed before any further investigatory action can be taken.

The initial interview is often carried out by an untrained individual. In the police service, it is now standard practice for that person to be a civilian call handler, whose responsibility is only to take the briefest of details and record them. In many cases, therefore, the information that is made available to the investigator is routinely incomplete. Even before the investigation begins the investigator must revisit the informant in an effort to improve the quality and quantity of the available information.

This is an extract from the SFJ Level 3 Professional Investigator Course

To learn more please see the course content page