Title: In search of police investigative thinking styles: an exploratory study of detectives in Norway and Singapore

Authors: Geoff Dean, Ivar Andre Fahsing, Petter Gottschalk

Addresses: School of Justice Studies, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia. ' Norwegian Police University College, PO Box 5027, Majorstua, 0301 Oslo, Norway. ' Department of Leadership and Organization Management, Norwegian School of Management BI, Nydalsveien 37, 0442 Oslo, Norway

Abstract: In this paper, we argue that more research attention needs to be devoted to profile how investigators think when attempting to solve crimes and dismantle terrorist networks. Since 9/11, there is much activity focused on profiling criminals and terrorists but little on the other side of the investigative equation the detectives/investigators themselves. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to begin to address this gap in police-law enforcement-security knowledge by reporting the results of an exploratory factor analysis (n = 157) with a random sample of Norwegian and Singaporean police officers. Results indicated that a 3-factor solution of investigative thinking provided a strong fit for the data. The three underlying dimensions found are labelled in the paper as challenging proactivity (factor 1), procedural methodology (factor 2), and procedural professionalism (factor 3). Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed in the light of the findings for these three factors. The importance of this paper lies in its contribution to the burgeoning area of knowledge management as it relates to policing and law enforcement.

Keywords: investigative psychology; investigative thinking styles; police investigations; police knowledge management; profiling; detectives; Norway; Singapore; crime; criminal investigations; terrorist networks; law enforcement; security knowledge.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLC.2007.014893

International Journal of Learning and Change, 2007 Vol.2 No.1, pp.20 - 33

Published online: 16 Aug 2007 *

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