Investigative Operations and Case Management
This domain tests how a captain oversees an investigation without taking it over: assignment, investigative milestones, case review, and the handoffs between patrol, detectives, and specialized units.
From complaint to case
The initial complaint report captures the offense and the victim; the follow-up investigation report records each subsequent investigative step. A case is only as good as its paper trail. Assign by squad and detective, with a supervisory name attached, and set review dates for serious offenses rather than waiting for a closing report.
Case review questions
- What investigative steps were taken, by whom, and on what date?
- Was video recovered and preserved before it was overwritten?
- Was a canvass documented, including negative results?
- Were forensic requests (Crime Scene Unit, latent prints, DNA) made and tracked?
- Is there a pattern link to another case in the command or borough?
Coordination
Pattern identification triggers notification to the borough investigative unit and detective bureau; specialized units take the lead where they have expertise, with patrol support for perimeter and canvass. Arrest processing runs through the command and the online arraignment process, with the captain ensuring the case file is complete before the defendant is arraigned.
Worked example
A commercial robbery goes 30 days without arrest. Reviewing the file, the captain finds no canvass documented and video requested only on day 25. The corrective action is not a lecture: it is a case-review protocol requiring documented canvass within 48 hours and video preservation within 24 for robberies, with the detective's supervisor accountable for the check.
Traps
Measuring investigations by clearance rate alone; accepting "no leads" as a case status; allowing video to expire; letting a specialized unit and a squad both assume the other is following up; signing off on a case file you have not read.