Review and Good Practice

The Review and Good Practice Section was established primarily to support the investigation of major and serious crime by conducting objective reviews of both active and dormant investigations.

Active investigations into major crime, which remain unsolved after seven days, are reviewed by the section to support the Senior Investigating Officer by providing a health check on the investigation conducted to date and to identify any other potential avenues of investigation which may be worthy of pursuing.

A further in-depth review is conducted by the section if an active investigation remains unsolved after twenty-eight days and thereafter, at any stage on the direction of the Assistant Chief Constable (Crime) or at the request of the Senior Investigating Officer.

Dormant investigations, sometimes referred to as cold cases, form part of a programme of periodic reviews to ensure that all historic unsolved major crime cases benefit from advances in forensic science or other evidential opportunities.

In addition to their work in the field of major crime investigation the section supports other areas of operational policing such as reviewing the investigation of missing persons, submission of reports for Serious Case Reviews and our response to incidents where the effectiveness of the police is likely to have a significant impact upon the confidence of the victim, their family and or the wider community.

The Review and Good Practice Section is also commissioned with undertaking thematic inspections of policing units and process to objectively examine what we do, why we do it and how we do it in an effort to identify ways of making improvements in terms of quality, effectiveness and efficiency.