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Improve Homicide Investigations

Audience
Strategy
Law enforcement agencies can take several steps to improve homicide investigations and homicide clearance rates. By implementing these best practices, agencies increase the likelihood that a perpetrator will be held accountable for their actions and may subsequently deter other offenders or repeat offenders. Given that many homicides involve guns, improving homicide investigations overall can help to reduce gun violence. We elaborate on many of these best practices, but notably, most successful agencies establish strong trust with the community and collaborations with other law enforcement agencies.

Specific programs and implementation sites:

Helpful resources and citations:

Primary implementing agency:

  • Law Enforcement
Potential partnering agencies:
  • Federal law enforcement partners
  • Prosecutors’ offices
Links to evaluation evidence:
  • None/inconclusive, but some strategies, such as problem-oriented policing, are proven to be effective
PSN Pillars

Focused and Strategic Enforcement

Related Topics

Body-Worn Camera Auto-Triggering Technologies

Body-Worn Camera Auto-Triggering Technologies

Comprehensive anti-gang initiatives combine enforcement, prevention, and reentry efforts to target gang-related gun violence in high-crime neighborhoods. Sites that implement this approach to tailor the program to their communities’ strengths and areas of need. Enforcement efforts include increased federal, state, and local prosecution; prosecution screening; and hot spots policing. Prevention and intervention efforts include skill building, education, outreach, school-based prevention, and substance use treatment. Reentry efforts include outreach and community-based services for individuals reentering the community following incarceration.

Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative

Comprehensive Gun Violence Reduction Strategies

Comprehensive Gun Violence Reduction Strategies

Consent to Search and Seize Program

Consent to Search and Seize Program

Destruction of Forfeited Firearms

Destruction of Forfeited Firearms

Detective Function Assessment – PSN Resource

Detective Function Assessment – PSN Resource

Hot Spots Policing and Directed Patrols

Hot Spots Policing and Directed Patrols

Gun Buy-Back or Turn-In Programs

Gun Buy-Back or Turn-In Programs

Gun Courts

Gun Courts

Gun Dealer Records Maintenance

Gun Dealer Records Maintenance

Gun Licensing

Gun Licensing

Gun Prosecution Case Screening 

Gun Prosecution Case Screening 

Gun Tracing

Gun Tracing

Gun Violence Prevention Hotlines

Gun Violence Prevention Hotlines

Gunshot Detection Technology

Gunshot Detection Technology

Homicide and Non-fatal Shooting Databases

Homicide and Non-fatal Shooting Databases

Homicide Investigations and Prosecutions Assessment – PSN Resource

Homicide Investigations and Prosecutions Assessment – PSN Resource

Homicide Review Commissions

Homicide Review Commissions

Hospital-Policing Partnerships

Hospital-Policing Partnerships

Identifying and Responding to Chronic Offenders

Identifying and Responding to Chronic Offenders

Lost/Stolen Gun Reporting

Lost/Stolen Gun Reporting

Mentoring

Mentoring

National Instant Criminal Background Check System Denials Investigations

National Instant Criminal Background Check System Denials Investigations

Neighborhood Engagement Units

Neighborhood Engagement Units

Nonfatal Shooting Assessment – PSN Resource

Nonfatal Shooting Assessment – PSN Resource

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Parent/Guardian Counseling

Police-Community Liaison

Police-Community Liaison

Public Awareness Campaigns

Public Awareness Campaigns

Real-Time Crime Center

Real-Time Crime Center

Regulating Bulk Firearm Purchases 

Regulating Bulk Firearm Purchases 

Promote Safe Storage of Firearms

Promote Safe Storage of Firearms

Problem-Oriented Policing

Problem-Oriented Policing

Search and Seize Policy – Domestic Violence

Search and Seize Policy – Domestic Violence

Street Outreach Workers

Street Outreach Workers

Sustained Investigation of Gun-Involved Cases

Sustained Investigation of Gun-Involved Cases

Youth Counseling

Youth Counseling

Cure Violence

Cure Violence

Extreme Risk Protection Orders

Extreme Risk Protection Orders

Lethality Assessment Instruments

Lethality Assessment Instruments

Credible Messenger Program

Credible Messenger Program

Comprehensive Youth Violence Prevention Programs

Comprehensive Youth Violence Prevention Programs

Top Offender List Training – PSN Resource

Top Offender List Training – PSN Resource

Focused Deterrence

Focused Deterrence

Respond to Retaliatory Violent Disputes

Respond to Retaliatory Violent Disputes

BJA

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