Once a crime has been reported to the police staton, an officer will carry out an initial investigation. This will always happen, however a crime is reported.
The below information briefly outlines the many stages of a police investigation, from the initial investigation when a crime is first reported, to the investigative assessment and then through to the three main outcomes.
Initial investigation – this will involve a review of witnesses, scenes, CCTV and all other available evidence such as any forensic samples and any relevant local knowledge. Following this the crime will be entered into the police staton crime recording system before the end of the officer's shift. The victim will then be issued with a crime reference number within 36 hours of the initial investigation.
Investigative assessment – after the initial investigation, crime details are forwarded to the Crime Assessment Unit for an investigative assessment to be completed. A decision will then be made whether to transfer the crime to an investigating officer for further investigation or not. This assessment will take into account the following:
- Seriousness of the offence
- Likelihood of solvability (e.g. availability of evidence)
Level of resources required proportionate to the seriousness of the offence
The victim will then receive a letter, phone call or email notifying them of the result of the assessment. There are two possible outcomes at this point.
1. Investigation will be closed - this means that there are currently no proportionate leads to pursue. Should the MPS receive further intelligence or discover new evidence, which it regularly does, the investigation will be re-opened and you will be contacted. Regardless of whether this happens, the information that has been provided becomes a vital part of determining where and when to deploy police resources to detect and prevent crime.
2. Crime allocated for further investigation – an investigating officer is assigned and he/she will be responsible for investigating the crime. This officer will be able to provide the victim with specific updates regarding the progress in the case. The method of contact and frequency of communication will be agreed with the victim by the investigating officer.
Further investigation – if the crime is transferred for further investigation, the investigating officer will carry out enquiries including:
- Taking statements from the victim and any witnesses, which is a formal means of recording personal accounts of the crime
- Arresting and detaining any identified suspects and formally interviewing them at a police station
After conducting interviews the suspect(s) may be bailed to return to the police station at a specified date. This allows the investigating officer more time to make further enquiries. At the end of the investigation there are three main outcomes for the suspect(s).
1. Charged – the suspect is formally told that they will be sent to court and what law they are alleged to have broken.
2. Cautioned – an official warning given in some circumstances. If the suspect is brought to court within the next three years the court can take this warning in to account when sentencing them.
3. No further action – if there is insufficient evidence to charge or caution a suspect, no further action will be taken by police.
