An exploratory analysis of factors affecting homicide investigations

Keel and Colleagues

How much did the national clearance rate drop from the 1960s to 2006?

it went from 90% to 61%, dropping almost 30%

This study uses past literature to identify five factors that influence homicide clearance rates, these factors included: management, investigative procedures, demographics, analytical practices and political influences?

true, all of these factors hinder the clearance of homicides experienced in these jurisdictions

according to this article, the national clearance rate for homicide has:

decreased significantly since 1960s

how does management and resources affect clearance rantes?

• police response times and number of detectives responding to the homicide are important police resource variables for understanding murder clearances

policing strategies relative to victim demographics?

• victims from lower social strata receive less law than that of higher social strata

examples of political influence

• coordination or collaboration with prosecutors

• managing relationships with medical examiners or coroners

• interaction and oversight by councils or mayors

what are the two variables of political importance?

• media, local political figures, and prosecuting attorneys exercise significant impact on police practice and procedures, investigative decision-making, and even fluctuation of murder clearance rates

• empirical work has not included the impacts on policy agency efforts to solve homicide

does formal training improve homicide clearance rates?

yes it does

• only suggests formally trained homicide detectives have higher clearance rates

• continued training doesn’t have an affect

what analytical tools were found to increase clearance rates?

sophisticated analytical tools

• blood splatter

• statement analysis

• criminal investigative analysis

• voice stress analysis in interviews

why don’t some demographics want to cooperate in aiding the police?

• police devaluing victims

• police delivering less law and justice to these populations

• victims mistrust with police

• view that informal street justice would be more effective

how does micromanaging affect clearance rates

by micromanaging investigators and requiring constant case reviews, it would have negative return to overall clearance rates

how does political influences affect clearance rates?

• political cooperation yields negative returns

the study found that increase management oversight always leads to higher homicide clearance rates

false

the study found a strong positive correlation between the size of a police department and its homicide clearance rate

false