FOI 146062
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 146062
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 14th January 2022. Please find below the response to your request:
Please can you provide us with the following information. Your response will help to inform research being undertaken by the University of South Wales, exploring if and how processes and practices for reviewing both homicide investigations and missing persons differ across police services in England, Wales and Scotland. 1) Do you have a specific policy in place for reviewing homicide investigations? (yes or no). 2) Do you have a designated review team, e.g. Major Crime Review Team, Cold Case Unit? (yes or no). If yes, please specify the name of the team/unit/department. 3) Which types of review might you conduct for homicide investigations? Please respond yes or no to each of the following. Where reviews are undertaken, please specify all individuals who might be involved in the review, e.g. Senior Investigating Officer, Review Officer, Forensic Scientist, Crime Scene Manager, etc.: a) 72 hours? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review. b) 7-10 days? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review. c) 28 days? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review. d) Cold case review? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review. e) Conclusion (may also be known as a debrief)? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review. f) Other? If yes, please specify the type of review and who might be involved. 4) Do you have a specific policy in place for reviewing missing people? (yes or no). 5) Which role or team have responsibility for reviewing missing people? (please specify). 6) At what point might you review a missing person? (please specify, indicating, for example, how this is based on risk and/or period missing or other factors). 7) Do you have an independent case review panel or independent members who are involved in reviews of homicide investigations and/or missing people? (yes/no). If yes, please specify which kinds of review they are involved in.
Reply:-
1) Do you have a specific policy in place for reviewing homicide investigations? (yes or no).
Yes
2) Do you have a designated review team, e.g. Major Crime Review Team, Cold Case Unit? (yes or no). If yes, please specify the name of the team/unit/department.
Yes – Statutory and Major Crime Review Unit
3) Which types of review might you conduct for homicide investigations? Please respond yes or no to each of the following. Where reviews are undertaken, please specify all individuals who might be involved in the review, e.g. Senior Investigating Officer, Review Officer, Forensic Scientist, Crime Scene Manager, etc.:
- a) 72 hours? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review
Yes – LPA DCI / MIU SIO
- b) 7-10 days? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review.
Yes – LPA DCI/SIO / MIU SIO, typically including Senior Managers from Crime Scene Management; Intelligence; FLC/FLO; Media; Local – Community Impact Assessment; external experts – Forensic Science, from or via NCA; SCAS. SMCRU - Review of undetected CAT A and B investigations (7 day review optional)
- c) 28 days? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review.
Yes – SMCRU Review of undetected CAT A and B investigations at 28 days.
- d) Cold case review? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review.
SMCRU - Periodically in line with policy, as a general guide (APP) every 2 years.
- e) Conclusion (may also be known as a debrief)? If yes, please specify who might be involved in the review.
Typically MIU, led by the SIO and nominated members and the DI from SMCRU
- f) Other? If yes, please specify the type of review and who might be involved.
SMCRU – Yes – Undetected Stranger Rape; Manslaughter (discretionary and with learning / investigative opportunities); Statutory Safeguarding reviews covering all areas of Vulnerability.
4) Do you have a specific policy in place for reviewing missing people? (yes or no).
No. (MIM 2006 is utilised where a missing person is part of a Homicide determination).
5) Which role or team have responsibility for reviewing missing people? (please specify).
Local Policing Area Inspector. The Head of SMCRU or a Chief Officer can direct a full or thematic review of ‘other’ business areas, including missing persons. Peer review is optional and can be requested of SMCRU by the LPA DCI or DI with suitable rationale and justification supporting the need and benefit of a review and only with the agreement of the SMCRU DI.
6) At what point might you review a missing person? (please specify, indicating, for example, how this is based on risk and/or period missing or other factors).
SMCRU can review a missing person case where it is determined that the nominal missing is part of a wider homicide investigation. A number of factors will have been considered to determine this prior to request for review.
7) Do you have an independent case review panel or independent members who are involved in reviews of homicide investigations and/or missing people? (yes/no). If yes, please specify which kinds of review they are involved in.
Yes – SMCRU – Homicide.
The following may also be of use to you:
Major-Crime-Investigation-Manual-Nov-2021.pdf (college.police.uk)