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Several studies have been conducted to understand why the conviction rate for rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) remains so low. Increasing pressure and criticism have led to questioning why improvements in RASSO investigations are proving ineffective. The purpose of this study was to capture police officers’ perspective of police specialism while investigating RASSO.

A total of 82 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection spanned across two years, from October 2021 until May 2023, and included police officers from four police forces in England and Wales. Template analysis was used to identify recurrent patterns around police specialism for RASSO.

Most officers viewed specialism as a tool to improve how police forces prevent and tackle RASSO. In spite of this, the lack of prioritisation of specialist training, roles and units specifically for this crime type has hindered the development of evidence-based practice in policing. The impact on well-being, resources, organisational support and role identity has been explored.

This is the first qualitative study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to look at officers’ insights on police specialism for RASSO in England and Wales. Officers discussed day-to-day challenges associated with conducting RASSO investigations while reflecting on potential advantages related to dedicated specialist units and/or specialist roles.

This study aims to conduct an analysis of the strategy used by Royal Malaysian Police in auditing investigation records and information.

Qualitative methodologies were used based on the pragmatic philosophy and a case study approach.

This paper discusses the strategy for auditing the investigation records and information (AIRI), which includes the pre-auditing (input), auditing (process) and post-auditing (output) phases that will be used to develop the AIRI framework.

This study focuses on auditing investigative records and information that may not be universally applicable to all organisations.

The implications arising from this paper are those related to the need to understand, promote and implement auditing of records and information in organisations.

This study presents an opportunity and establishes the foundation for enhancing and broadening the scope of information auditing, a crucial component within the records and information management (RIM) life cycle.

The article presents research on the long-term information needs of homicide bereaved individuals in the context of record-keeping practice within Major Crime Units (MCU) in England. The research objectives were to: (1) identify the long-term information needs of individuals bereaved by homicide; (2) establish MCU officer perceptions on the provision of information to individuals bereaved by homicide; (3) establish the current practice of MCU officers in managing and providing access to homicide records and (4) explore the capability of current recordkeeping practice to move beyond the use of homicide records for their primary “policing” purpose.

The research objectives were met by combining findings from a literature review across policing, bereavement, death, victimology, criminology, records management and archival studies with results from a singular interview-based study with officers at the Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire Major Crime Unit (BHCMCU).

The findings indicate that the long-term information needs of homicide bereaved individuals are ill-served by the current police recordkeeping framework which provides them with little involvement in record-keeping decision-making and limited long-term access to the information required for sensemaking/adaption in a post-homicide world. In this context, the research demonstrates a long term need for: (1) information access; (2) support for access; (3) a direct and personalised information access service and (4) trauma-informed and victim/survivor centred practice in police recordkeeping contexts.

The research addresses a major gap across disciplinary research literature in its focus on the ways investigative information is disclosed by the police to the bereaved following case closure.

The purpose of this study is to explore the review mechanisms’ efficacy from the perspective of cold case reviewers. Live homicide review mechanisms at the 7- and 28-day stage of an inquiry seek to prevent the case becoming cold (or unsolved) by ensuring lines of inquiry have been suitably identified and progressed. There is also a requirement to ensure the investigation was not swayed by faulty decision-making or cognitive biases. However, the use of the review processes in preventing unsolved cases is unclear, and not subject to much academic discussion.

This exploratory study explores the review functions through the lens of cold case detectives, currently reviewing unsolved cases to identify progression opportunities. The study uses data from a seven-month, non-participatory observation period with a two-force collaborative cold case unit and 13 semi-structured interviews with cold case review officers. The observations and interviews were simultaneously analysed adhering to an inductive approach to Thematic Analysis.

The results show procedural guides (e.g. the Major Crime Investigation Manual) are important quality assurance mechanisms for review officers, helping ensure the appropriate and necessary lines of inquiry have been pursued. However, they were keen to emphasise the importance of intuition in progressing cases but felt continuously hindered by a lack of resources and large numbers of applicable cases. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this study is the first exploration of cold case detective’s experiences of the live review processes and how they may pose challenges in case progression for cognitive errors and biases. While the study has identified some challenges facing review officers in nine police forces across the UK, wider examination of policies, practices and mechanisms should be explored to develop the current procedural guidance (e.g. NPCC, 2021).

To the best of the authors’ knowledge this exploratory study is the first exploration of cold case detective’s experiences of the live review processes and how they may pose challenges in case progression for cognitive errors and biases. While the study has identified some challenges facing review officers in nine police forces across the UK, wider examination of policies, practices and mechanisms should be explored to develop the current procedural guidance (e.g. NPCC, 2021).

This paper applies novel techniques from the field of operations management to examine the allocation of patrol and investigative personnel to identify which is most effective in improving police performance around homicide clearance.

A panel sample of homicide clearance rates from the 100 largest US cities between 2000 and 2013 were analyzed in two steps: first, a random-effects regression model was performed to locate influential factors; second, optimum analysis was applied to locate the optimal values that yield maximal homicide clearance.

Both patrol and investigative personnel levels have a significant impact on homicide clearance. Maximal clearance can be achieved by allocating departmental personnel to investigative roles.

Given recent trends around “defunding” police and public sector austerity measures, future research should continue to explore the utility of optimum analysis for efficient allocation of policing personnel.

This study provides proof of concept for the use of optimum analysis in policing research.

The reviews of cold case homicides are infrequently referenced within either procedural guides or scholarly outputs. However, boundaries for the review are imperative to ascertain the most productive use of resources, aligned with the case’s chance of eventual resolution. The purpose of the study is to identify the boundaries established by police forces within England and Wales for their reviews of cold cases. Due to the lack of guidance, forces have created their own methods which may result in ineffective review processes and strategies. Therefore, this study sought to elucidate the boundaries of the review process through 13 semi-structured interviews with cold case detectives and a seven-month observation period (analysed simultaneously using an inductive Thematic Analysis), the following boundaries were identified before the review commences: the Terms of Reference (which provide a framework for the review based on live homicide review criteria), the identification of the review type (either a full or thematic review) and justification of the case’s prioritisation. This study provides initial evidence that there is an interconnectedness of procedures underpinning the reviews of cold cases, with the Terms of Reference dictating the type of review to be conducted, which is subsequently influenced by the case’s prioritisation. This study provides an important insight into the boundaries of reviews, and recognises the challenges for their implementation, attributed primarily to available resources and the number of cases that a force is responsible for. Important recommendations are proposed for the ongoing practice of cold case reviews to provide areas of evaluation and improved practice.

The reviews of cold case homicides are infrequently referenced within either procedural guides or scholarly outputs. However, boundaries for the review are imperative to ascertain the most productive use of resources, aligned with the case’s chance of eventual resolution. The purpose of the study is to identify the boundaries established by police forces within England and Wales for their reviews of cold cases. Due to the lack of guidance, forces have created their own methods which may result in ineffective review processes and strategies. Therefore, this study sought to elucidate the boundaries of the review process through 13 semi-structured interviews with cold case detectives and a seven-month observation period (analysed simultaneously using an inductive Thematic Analysis), the following boundaries were identified before the review commences: the Terms of Reference (which provide a framework for the review based on live homicide review criteria), the identification of the review type (either a full or thematic review) and justification of the case’s prioritisation. This study provides initial evidence that there is an interconnectedness of procedures underpinning the reviews of cold cases, with the Terms of Reference dictating the type of review to be conducted, which is subsequently influenced by the case’s prioritisation. This study provides an important insight into the boundaries of reviews, and recognises the challenges for their implementation, attributed primarily to available resources and the number of cases that a force is responsible for. Important recommendations are proposed for the ongoing practice of cold case reviews to provide areas of evaluation and improved practice.

The reviews of cold case homicides are infrequently referenced within either procedural guides or scholarly outputs. However, boundaries for the review are imperative to ascertain the most productive use of resources, aligned with the case’s chance of eventual resolution. The purpose of the study is to identify the boundaries established by police forces within England and Wales for their reviews of cold cases. Due to the lack of guidance, forces have created their own methods which may result in ineffective review processes and strategies. Therefore, this study sought to elucidate the boundaries of the review process through 13 semi-structured interviews with cold case detectives and a seven-month observation period (analysed simultaneously using an inductive Thematic Analysis), the following boundaries were identified before the review commences: the Terms of Reference (which provide a framework for the review based on live homicide review criteria), the identification of the review type (either a full or thematic review) and justification of the case’s prioritisation. This study provides initial evidence that there is an interconnectedness of procedures underpinning the reviews of cold cases, with the Terms of Reference dictating the type of review to be conducted, which is subsequently influenced by the case’s prioritisation. This study provides an important insight into the boundaries of reviews, and recognises the challenges for their implementation, attributed primarily to available resources and the number of cases that a force is responsible for. Important recommendations are proposed for the ongoing practice of cold case reviews to provide areas of evaluation and improved practice.

The reviews of cold case homicides are infrequently referenced within either procedural guides or scholarly outputs. However, boundaries for the review are imperative to ascertain the most productive use of resources, aligned with the case’s chance of eventual resolution. The purpose of the study is to identify the boundaries established by police forces within England and Wales for their reviews of cold cases. Due to the lack of guidance, forces have created their own methods which may result in ineffective review processes and strategies. Therefore, this study sought to elucidate the boundaries of the review process through 13 semi-structured interviews with cold case detectives and a seven-month observation period (analysed simultaneously using an inductive Thematic Analysis), the following boundaries were identified before the review commences: the Terms of Reference (which provide a framework for the review based on live homicide review criteria), the identification of the review type (either a full or thematic review) and justification of the case’s prioritisation. This study provides initial evidence that there is an interconnectedness of procedures underpinning the reviews of cold cases, with the Terms of Reference dictating the type of review to be conducted, which is subsequently influenced by the case’s prioritisation. This study provides an important insight into the boundaries of reviews, and recognises the challenges for their implementation, attributed primarily to available resources and the number of cases that a force is responsible for. Important recommendations are proposed for the ongoing practice of cold case reviews to provide areas of evaluation and improved practice.

This paper aims to identify impediments, discuss impediments and make recommendations for the impediments during the execution of a search and seizure warrant for digital evidence in South African criminal cases.

The discussion of this article, the second article of two, focuses on a literature review of international and local impediments identified in case law and published research literature and how it is approached in various jurisdictions.

This study found that impediments identified and addressed internationally during the execution of a search and seizure warrant for digital evidence are relevant to South African criminal cases and still need to be addressed during the execution of a search and seizure warrant for digital evidence in South African criminal cases.

Although searches and seizures for digital evidence are relevant to civil, regulatory and criminal investigations, this study focuses on the search and seizure for digital evidence in criminal matters with an emphasis on the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 and the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020.

The originality of this paper lies in the procedures followed during the physical search and seizure of digital information during the execution of search and seizure warrants for digital information in South Africa. If the South African Police Service follows the recommended procedures, it will contribute to the success of the South African Police Service, which would result in the improved quality of investigations and successful prosecution of crime in South Africa.

In the absence of new funding dedicated to cold case investigation, innovation is required.

The number of unresolved homicides in the USA has surpassed a quarter million, and the figure grows by thousands every year. Homicides that do not yield a quick arrest are time and labor intensive. This creates a staffing and resource dilemma for law enforcement administrators, as allocating time for older cases comes at the expense of investigating current ones, and vice versa.

Universities offer the enthusiastic labor of college students to “defrost” cold cases. One such partnership has been in place for nearly three years in an unusual collaboration between a state police agency and a regional state university. Small groups of students systematically organize, review and present case files. They create investigative recommendations and prioritize cases by solvability. Investigators can then select a case that may be relatively close to an arrest, access the case details very quickly and have the investigative recommendations as a place to begin a renewed investigation. Additionally, cases that are appropriate for new forensic testing or new forensic tools are identified and advanced.

Partnerships such the one described here are rare but lucrative. We recommend new collaborations like ours to reduce the number of unresolved homicide cases.

This study aims to examine the scope and contribution of Forensic Clinical Psychology (FCP) advice from the National Crime Agency (NCA) to criminal investigations in the UK to address the gap in current knowledge and research.

The 36 FCP reports reviewed were written between 2017 and 2021. They were analysed using Toulmin’s (1958) application of pertinent arguments to the evaluation process. The potential utility of the reports was analysed in terms of the advice provided.

Most of the reports involved murder and equivocal death. The reports focused primarily on understanding the offender’s psychopathology, actions, motivation and risk to self and others using a practitioner model of case study methodology. Out of the 539 claims, grounds were provided for 99% of the claims, 91% had designated modality, 62% of the claims were potentially verifiable and 57% of the claims were supported by a warrant and/or backing. Most of the reports provided either moderate or high insight into the offence/offender (92%) and potential for new leads (64%).

The advice provided relied heavily on extensive forensic clinical and investigative experience of offenders, guided by theory and research and was often performed under considerable time pressure. Flexibility, impartiality, rigour and resilience are essential prerequisites for this type of work.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically evaluate forensic clinical psychology reports from the NCA. It shows the pragmatic, dynamic and varied nature of FCP contributions to investigations and its potential utility.