When a crime is reported to police, an investigation begins. An investigation is the process of finding out what happened and why. It can involve talking to witnesses and victims, examining the scene and checking CCTV. Police can also ask anyone they think might have information about the case to come in for questioning – including family, friends and neighbours of a suspected offender.
In the early stages of an investigation, officers will check whether there are enough grounds to suspect someone of a criminal offence and decide if they can take action. This is known as ‘verifying solvability’.
After this, the focus is on gathering and assessing evidence. This could include examining the crime scene and collecting physical evidence such as fingerprints, blood samples or fibres. This can be a very technical task and it is important that police follow the correct procedures to ensure that evidence doesn’t become contaminated. If police aren’t careful, they can destroy key pieces of information that could be used in court against the defendant.
For more serious crimes, detectives may be assigned to the case to investigate further. They will look at witness statements, examine the crime scene and carry out forensic enquiries to try to identify the culprits. This can be a complex job and the investigation can be time consuming. It is essential that police do their best to work proactively until they can say with confidence that all possible lines of enquiry have been followed and no further action will be taken.
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