Detecting Clues in Homicide Management

Nationally, the number of homicides reported by police departments to the FBI and published in the 2007 Uniform Crime Report (UCR) is on the rise. Equally disturbing is the fact that the clearance rate for those homicides continues to decline. Law enforcement officials are increasingly concerned with those statistics and what they can do about them. Although most homicide supervisors are confident in their detectives‟ abilities to solve cases, they may be asking themselves, from a management perspective, if their current practices and procedures provide the best investigative environment to obtain the highest possible clearance rate. To explore these issues, the author conducted a study of homicide units across the country. A questionnaire was developed that pertained to a variety of operational and management issues.

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Author: Timothy G. Keel M.S.

Federal Sponsor Agency: FBI

Provider: FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime

Publication Date: 2011