The goal of a criminal investigator is to identify the perpetrators of crimes, their motivations, and identities. They may also look for and question witnesses. The end goal of a criminal investigation is to establish guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” for the judge, magistrate, or presiding officer.
The objectives of criminal investigations are:
- Detect crime
- Locate and identify suspects in crimes
- Locate, document, and preserve evidence in crimes
- Arrest suspects in crimes
- Recover stolen property
- Prepare sound criminal cases for prosecution.