ABSTRACT
The police service has only recently recognised that the investigation of crime requires a distinct occupational practice. Of course, those responsible for the investigation of crime have always had a practice in the sense that they have used their knowledge, skills and understanding of crime and its investigation to carry out their role. But there was never common agreement about what this practice consisted of and it was not documented in ways that enabled practitioners to be trained and accredited in it. It was more like a craft, which was passed down from practitioner to practitioner, and shot through with individual and local variation. This is not to say that it was necessarily ineffective. Far from it; there is plenty of evidence that it could be very effective and highly responsive to local needs. But the practice of criminal investigation and the training and accreditation of investigators has become more standardised over time and the police service is seeking to put it on a more professional footing. This chapter sets contemporary developments in investigative practice in the context of the longer-term role that criminal investigation has played in the police service.
