This course is designed to equip you with the essential knowledge, techniques, and mindset required to carry out effective, ethical, and legally sound investigations. Whether you are just starting your investigative career or looking to strengthen your existing skills, this course offers practical insights and real-world strategies for navigating the complexities of modern criminal investigations.
By the end of this course, you’ll not only understand how to collect and assess evidence—you’ll learn how to think critically, avoid investigative pitfalls, and build solid cases that stand up in court.
This course provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the criminal investigation process, from the moment a crime is reported to case prosecution. It integrates investigative theory with practical tools, and covers:
• Foundations of Criminal Investigation: Purpose, principles, legal context, and types of evidence.
• Evidence Management: Collection, documentation, chain of custody, and admissibility in court.
• Crime Scene Management: Handling scenes with limited resources using low-tech but effective methods.
• Criminal Elements: Understanding mens rea, actus reus, and the material and legal components of crime.
• Investigative Frameworks: Applying MOM (Means, Opportunity, Motive) and AMP (Act, Means, Purpose) for structured suspect and crime analysis.
• Investigation Planning: Building and executing a strategy using real-life case studies.
• Lead & Theory Development: Identifying, testing, and refining investigative theories while avoiding cognitive biases.
• Solvability Factors: Prioritizing cases through evidence-based scoring and resource allocation.
• Final Stages: Preparing the case file, presenting findings, and supporting the prosecution.
Interactive case exercises, practical quizzes, and real-world examples are embedded throughout the course to support experiential learning and critical reflection.
