Identifying the desired knowledge, skills, experience and attributes of investigative coordinators

Identifying the desired knowledge, skills, experience and attributes of investigative coordinators

Detectives play a crucial role in Policing agencies, generally holding principal responsibility for preventing, disrupting, responding to and investigating crime in their community. Crucial to their performance is the role of 'Investigative Coordinators', senior Detectives responsible for supervising, leading and managing teams of Detectives conducting serious, complex and protracted investigations. This research focussed on the role of those Investigative Coordinators seeking to identify: ‘What are the desired knowledge, skills, experience and attributes of Investigative Coordinators?’ This research was conducted by the principal researcher (with support of the named supervisors) in fulfilment of the requirements of the Master of Professional Studies (Research) program undertaken through the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) with the cooperation of the Queensland Police Service (QPS). Research participants were Investigative Coordinators from the QPS(n=20) who cumulatively possessed over 530 years’ experience as sworn police and over 430 years in plain clothes investigative roles. This research specifically focussed (in the context of the QPS) on Investigative Coordinators at the ranks of Detective Sergeant and Detective Senior Sergeant. This research identified the crucial knowledge, skills, experience and attributes of Investigative Coordinators as being Communication, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence and Diverse Investigate Knowledge, Skills and Experience. This research also identified the key priorities for the training and development of Detectives and Investigative Coordinators as being a Detective Training Continuum (including initial training, ongoing training, higher level Investigative Coordinator training and specialist training) encompassing four domains (formal training, informal training, shared learning and exercising capacity). Finally, the research identified in order to remain effective into the future Investigative Coordinators need to focus on three areas being enhancing the investigative workforce, enhancing investigative capability and enhancing investigative capacity.