The Investigation Plan

Stage 3 – Investigation Plan

This stage of the investigation process is where an investigative strategy is required that must be well planned out, controlled by the senior investigating officer (SIO), motivated to solve the crime and well organised in order to effectively discover and collect facts and evidence relevant to the investigation.

When planning the investigative strategy the senior investigating officer (SIO) will understand the resource requirements of the crime being investigated as the resources required to investigate is based on the crime committed.  He/she will prioritise their resources and decide what actions are necessary and to what degree.

The objective of the investigative strategy is to recognise the most relevant lines of enquiry that must be pursued and what the police aim to achieve in doing so.  Gathering as much intelligence from the various stages of the investigation, such as; witness statements, results of evidence collected from the crime scene and analysed as these may provide the police with new lines of enquiry or further evidence to add to an existing line of enquiry.

The police will be aware of the level of impact on the surrounding community, in which the crime was committed, will be based on the type of crime committed.  For example a robbery will not have as great an impact on the surrounding community as a murder.  With a serious crime the police will want to assure the community that they are doing all they can to catch the perpetrator/s of this crime.  This may involve a more visible police presence in the area the crime was committed and press briefings to keep the community informed about the progress of the investigation.

The investigative plan, in the case of the victims of Aileen Wuornos, was to carry out further lines of enquiry surrounding the discovery of each of the victims and their vehicles that were located in secluded areas of Florida.