The investigation and solvability of violent crime

Fiona Brookman and Rebecca Nicholls

Chapter 30 in Research Handbook on Violent Crime and Society, 2025, pp 493-510 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explores the solvability of violent crime, with a particular focus upon unlawful homicide and rape. Its principal focus is to document and discuss the factors that impact the likelihood that police identify and charge violent offenders and the challenges of solving distinct forms of violent crime. We consider whether and how case characteristics, organisational factors and police-community relations impact solvability and examine reasons for differences in clearance of homicide (typically higher than other violent offences) and rape/sexual assault (typically low). We conclude by considering the intersection of solvability factors and questioning whether clearance rates (alone) are a useful measure of police performance and, importantly, progress.

Keywords: Solvability; Clearance rates; Violent crime; Rape; Homicide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035317851
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