NCJ Number
120288
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Several jurisdictions have cleared the way for police investigators and prosecutors to work closely together to obtain convictions.
Abstract
In Maine, for example, the legislature created an entirely new agency in 1987, the Bureau of Intergovernmental Drug Enforcement, to reshape the drug investigation-prosecution process. This agency is responsible for integrating and coordinating investigative and prosecutorial functions with respect to drug law enforcement. In general, researchers have identified many factors that contribute to the cooperation gap between police investigators and prosecutors. One is that lawyers and police officers have different vantage points and thus different perspectives on crime. Differences between police and prosecution policies and priorities can make coordination difficult. More common are disagreements about the quality of evidence or investigations, the amount of evidence needed to file charges or go to trial, the point at which an arrest should take place, and the kind of plea bargain that should be made. Agencies in Maine, Oregon, and New Hampshire that have institutionalized a team approach and made communication between police investigators and prosecutors a top priority are described. Police-prosecutor cooperation in New York City is also examined, including a Homicide Investigation Unit and an Oriental Gang Unit. The author concludes that police-prosecutor teams represent a creative response to the challenges facing law enforcement. 9 notes and 1 figure