Are investigative plans at risk of becoming ʻthe emperor’s new clothes’?

Abstract

The rise in complexity and severity of crime calls for innovations in investigative approachesin law enforcement. Ideally, investigation plans (I-plans) are an important improvement inprocedural standards and hypothesis-driven methodology that ensures improved clear-uprates, notoriety of evidence and, ultimately, the legal rights of all actors involved. But thesepotentials are only realised if the expressed ideal behind the I-plan is put into practice. Basedon Knutsen’s (2020) critical examination of investigators’ reasoning of the use of I-plans inpractice, where Hartmann and Bjørkelo acted as supervisors, we question to what extent I-plans areactuallybeing used as intended or are at risk of becoming ‘The Emperor’s NewClothes’. After contextualising the expressed goals and intentions behind the implementa-tion of the I-plan, in the Norwegian Police Service (NPS), we present the study’s key insightsand implications for future consideration.