CM3D053 - Applied Criminal Investigation 05 Jul 2023 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 2

Associated Module Information

Module Code: CM3D053
Module Title: Applied Criminal Investigation
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Policing and Criminology
Faculty Sub Group: Criminology
Module Leader: Carl Davies
Module Team: Joanne Bates, Helen Martin, Daniel Welch, Cheryl Allsop
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 40 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes:
HECOS Code Weighting:

Document Version Information

Version 2
Valid From 05 Jul 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

• To challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding of crime and criminal investigations within a real-life context;
• Evaluate responses and recommendations for policy and practice in criminal justice in relation to multi-agency responses to serious and major crime.

Content Summary

The module will critically evaluate the processes involved in serious and major crime investigations, from the point at which the incident occurs, exploring barriers to reporting crimes, as well as multi-agency approaches to investigation that involves public and third sector organisations. It will also seek recommendations for how such incidents could be prevented in the future. The module will include the following:  

  • Relevant legislation for complex investigations (PACE, RIPA, CPIA, etc).  

  • Definitions of 'criminal investigations' and 'investigator.'  

  • Ethical considerations during investigations.  

  • Knowledge and skills required for complex investigations.  

  • Understanding complex, major, and volume crime.  

  • Principles of an investigation, including life preservation, scene preservation, evidence securing, victim and suspect identification.  

  • Crime scene management  

  • Definitions of key terminology, such as investigative mindset, best evidence, information, and intelligence.  

  • The stages of an investigation.  

  • Ethical Police interviews using the PEACE interview structure and interview process, including planning, preparation, engagement, explanation, account clarification, challenge, closure, and evaluation.  

  • Suspect interviewing  

  • Witness interviewing  

  • Principles of investigative interviewing. 

  •   Legislation related to interviews, including PACE Code C, E and PACE Code F 

  • The role of internal specialists, including Crime Scene Investigator, Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), Family Liaison (FLO).  

  • What constitutes 'material,' 'information,' 'intelligence,' or 'evidence.'  

  • Evidence-gathering opportunities from victims, witnesses, suspects, crime scenes, and digital data sources.  

  • Major incident room set up.   

  • Decision-making in investigations   

  • Effects of personal attitudes, stereotyping views, values, and bias on the investigation process.  

  • Considerations for specific types of investigations, i.e., homicide, sexual violence.  

  • Sex offender Psychology  

  • Stalking, Harassment 

  • Homicide Investigation

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Practical classes and workshops 72
Independent Study 72
Directed Study 48
Formative Assessment - Independent 16
Active/Simulation Based 48
Groupwork 48
Problem / challenge based learning 96
Total Hours Selected 400

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 To critically evaluate the processes and challenges involved in a serious/ major crime investigation.
LO2 To develop solutions to improve multi-agency responses to a range of violent crimes, victimisation and improve multi-agency working in the context of serious/ major crime incidents.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Practical Coursework 1 (Asynch) Response to a Criminal incident. 20 N/A 50 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Case study 1 Exploration and critical evaluation of a topical serious or major crime/s case study of their choice, addressing both the forensic and police investigation processes. 0 3000 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Practical Coursework 1 (Asynch) ✔ ✔
Case study 1 ✔ ✔

Reading List

Beaufort-Moore, D. (2015) Crime Scene Management and Evidence Recovery. 2nd Edition. Blackstone’s Practical Policing.
Chantler, Khatidja, et al. (2020) ‘Learning from domestic homicide reviews in England and Wales’ Health & Social Care in the Community 28 (2): 485-493.
Jackson, R.W, Jackson, M. (2017) Forensic Science. Pearson Education.
Monckton Smith, J. (2021) In Control: Dangerous Relationships and How They End in Murder, London: Bloomsbury
Monckton Smith, . (2019) ‘Intimate Partner Femicide: Using Foucauldian Analysis to Track an Eight Stage Progression to Homicide’ in Violence Against Women 26 (11): 1267 – 1285.
Sutton, R., Trueman, K. and Moran, C. (2017) Crime Scene Management and Scene Specific Methods. 2nd Edition. Wiley.
White, P (ed) (2016). Crime Scene to Court – The Essentials of forensic Science. 4th Edition. The Royal Society of Chemistry