Police and Critical Thinking
PPP232
As a police officer it is our role to observe, think about, and solve problems objectively and systematically. Police officers attend a variety of scenarios when working as a general duties officers it is our job to discover the truth; this requires the use of critical thinking and the scientific method of investigation to find the truth. When attending a job and conducting an investigation into a crime or offence police must utilise these skills as critical thinking and the scientific method of investigation go hand in hand with one another. In particular, to be able to make effective use of the scientific model, you need to be a critical thinker (Osterburg & Ward 1992 pp 11).
Using the Scientific Method of Investigation requires police to identify the problem on arrival, then to form a hypothesis as to what has happened as well as possible suspects and motives. By collecting further data, police can then review their original hypothesis and start to make an evidence based conclusion on the incident at hand. The whole point of police investigations whatever the crime or incident is to arrive at the truth (Miller,L & Connelly,M.1996). There are six steps to the scientific method of investigation. (Becker, RF, 2000, p.7) The six steps are state the problem, create a hypothesis, collect all data, test the hypothesis, continue to collect data and finally arrive at a theory. By adhering to this method it provides framework that best assists police in discovering the truth about what happened in a structural, factual and reliable way. (PPP232 Topic 3)
In this essay I will be critiquing the way the police officers have investigated the assault on Mr Lee that took place and how the officers have used both critical thinking and the scientific method of Investigation, to gather all evidence available to find the truth, in an ethical manner.
When applying the first stage of the investigation to the scenario the officers attending the scene are
As a police officer it is our role to observe, think about, and solve problems objectively and systematically. Police officers attend a variety of scenarios when working as a general duties officers it is our job to discover the truth; this requires the use of critical thinking and the scientific method of investigation to find the truth. When attending a job and conducting an investigation into a crime or offence police must utilise these skills as critical thinking and the scientific method of investigation go hand in hand with one another. In particular, to be able to make effective use of the scientific model, you need to be a critical thinker (Osterburg & Ward 1992 pp 11).
Using the Scientific Method of Investigation requires police to identify the problem on arrival, then to form a hypothesis as to what has happened as well as possible suspects and motives. By collecting further data, police can then review their original hypothesis and start to make an evidence based conclusion on the incident at hand. The whole point of police investigations whatever the crime or incident is to arrive at the truth (Miller,L & Connelly,M.1996). There are six steps to the scientific method of investigation. (Becker, RF, 2000, p.7) The six steps are state the problem, create a hypothesis, collect all data, test the hypothesis, continue to collect data and finally arrive at a theory. By adhering to this method it provides framework that best assists police in discovering the truth about what happened in a structural, factual and reliable way. (PPP232 Topic 3)
In this essay I will be critiquing the way the police officers have investigated the assault on Mr Lee that took place and how the officers have used both critical thinking and the scientific method of Investigation, to gather all evidence available to find the truth, in an ethical manner.
When applying the first stage of the investigation to the scenario the officers attending the scene are
References: Osterburg, J & Ward, R 1992, ‘Reconstructing the past, methods, evidence, examples’, in Criminals investigation a method of reconstructing the past, Anderson Publishing, Cincinnati, pp. 11 Code of Conduct and Ethics. (n.d.). NSW Police Force Policy. Statement of Values. (n.d.). (Section 7 Police Act) 1990 . Becker, R. F. (2000). Introduction to Criminal Investigation. Criminal Investigation. (pp. 1-14). Maryland: Aspen Publications. PPP232 Police as Investigators version 4.3 , CDROM. ( published October 2010). Miller,L.,& Connelly,M (1996). Critical thinking across the curriculum project. Retrieved march 9,2004, from http://mcckc.edu/longview/ctac/. Davis, A., Mullen, B., Nixon, J., O’Conner, G., Stefanovic, M,. Wooden, K,. Investigation & Communication in Policing 1 [PPP102 Study Guide]. Wagga: Charles Sturt University.