The investigative process is both rigid in requirements while fluid in progression. Each component has strict requirements to follow, yet criminal investigations are often fluid in their progression. Review the concepts in the managing criminal investigations methodology and discuss both the importance of quality management and the detriment of poor or ineffective management in the investigative process.
The importance of quality management in criminal investigations is essential to achieving a successful resolution and obtaining justice. Quality management provides structure, guidance, and oversight that allows the investigation to flow in an organized manner. Quality management can help ensure the proper procedures are followed throughout the case and all relevant details are taken into account. Without quality management protocols, there is a greater risk of overlooking or disregarding evidence or important facts which may lead to missteps in the investigative process. Additionally, it serves as protection from potential legal liability arising from bad decisions or ethical violations on behalf of investigators during their work on a case.
On the other hand, poor or ineffective management can be extremely detrimental to any investigation by leading to missed deadlines, delayed rulings on evidence admissibility, incorrect paperwork completion and filing errors when submitting documents for review or trial preparation. Poorly managed cases also increase likelihood of substandard decision making due to lack of coordination between different branches involved such as law enforcement agencies, prosecutors offices, judiciary departments etc., ultimately resulting in lower conviction rates since evidence was not properly collected nor presented at time of trial. Furthermore, inadequate resources allocated towards investigations can result in less thorough examinations with hastily drawn conclusions being made without sufficient evidence thus producing unreliable results unable to satisfy court standards when presenting findings before judge/jury during hearings/trials