Investigator Caseloads and Investigative Outcomes

• In Event: Solving Gun Crimes

Abstract

Despite the intuitive premise that a greater caseload would negatively affect clearance rates, evidence on the effects of investigator caseload on investigative outcomes is mixed, and research on these effects is thin and underdeveloped. Some recent work on criminal investigations, and research from the medical field, has suggested that heavier workloads negatively affects case (or patient) outcomes. Using Case Management Systems (CMS) data for investigators who carry generalized felony caseloads in one mid-size department, we operationalize caseloads as a daily rolling measure of their numerical volume, composition in terms of offense seriousness, caseload variety, and demand on time. Our analysis examines how investigative outcomes are patterned by caseload characteristics, specifically the outcomes of arrests, case life (or length of investigation), and evidence generated (such as identified suspects).

Authors

• Hannah Cochran, John F. Finn Institute

• Robert E. Worden, John F. Finn Institute / University at Albany