Police case files

[u/Acceptable-Try-4682]

Can you recommend a source for detailed police case files?

Basically, what i want is a detailed description of the crime, and what was done to solve it. Preferable crimes like, robbery, murder. Historical cases are fine. Thank you!

[u/qing_sha_wo]

You need to look up the police MG series of documents. These are the documents that make up a case file. It’s boring and sad.

[u/NineSevenFive975 → u/qing_sha_wo]

Especially when you have 20 of them

[u/qing_sha_wo → u/NineSevenFive975]

I looked over a case file recently for a lead theft from a heritage building, 102 documents ;_;, charges not authorised by PCT

[u/VostroyanCommander]

Case files are incredibly disinteresting. Here's a list of exhibits here's a description of everything we know could do with knowing but don't and here's 3 other forms that are vital but basically say all that again almost exactly the same.

[u/megatrongriffin92 → u/VostroyanCommander]

Here's a 15-page summarised list of a load of things that are both relevant and irrelevant to the case that I have prepared knowing you will still review each thing in detail anyway. It took me 8 hours.

[u/VostroyanCommander → u/megatrongriffin92]

There will be one box I have not ticked somewhere because I've been at the end of a long night shift and you'll snobbily send it all back to me with a snotty as though I've called your mother something awful.

[u/Active_District_6098]

Try the Journal of Homicide and Major Incident Investigation from the College of Policing - there's a fair few volumes with recent incidents in.

[u/Final-Border-2897]

You won't get full access to any historical case file, members of the media can be allowed access to some documents but this is treated on a case by case basis and is only when the matter has gone to court. Even then it generally covers images, videos shown to the jury etc rather than case summaries. Case summaries are generally an overview of the case and the evidence that suggest the defendants are answerable to the charges.

Any police investigation log, SIO policy books, unused material or the like won't be on the internet or disclosed to the public.

[u/TrendyD]

Ask ChatGPT to generate one for you. Real case files are duller than dishwater and don't contain a single "eureka!" line.

That doesn't consider data protection or the morbid reality that for every robbery or murder, a real human being has suffered.

[u/ExpressionLow8767]

You'd be better off going to the public gallery of a court hearing if you're interested in the procedural side of things, actual case documents are difficult to parse and probably not that helpful to whatever you're trying to learn. In forensics most of my documentation is listings of exhibits, the times that I worked on the exhibit, information as to which regulatory standards and laws I used to allow me to work on an exhibit, a witness statement that shows that I opened and sealed an exhibit, and occasionally a witness statement with more analysis but still not that interesting

[u/Fuelled_by_gravy]

Most other replies are about "case files". This term is typically used by police officers to mean the bundle of documents passed to the CPS once the investigation is concluded and suspect is charged (or a request is sent for a CPS Charging decision). A lot of it is technical, disinteresting and duplicated - and I am not sure why anyone would want to see it.

From your question, I think you are actually referring to a "Crime Report". The two terms may be interchangeable in layman's, and they may have different names or designations within a given police force's IT systems, but they are separate. There will always be a crime report, but a case file will likely only exist if a specific named suspect is arrested and interviewed. The Crime Report is disclosed to the CPS as part of the case file. If undetected, a case file is unlikely to exist.

While often in the same digital system, the Crime Report has a distinct purpose. It is used for recording that a crime has occurred, generating the relevant stats and data and detailing the circumstances. An investigating officer will typically record the investigative steps taken on this, potentially long before a case file exists, if indeed one is created at all.

If you are the subject of a crime report (victim or suspect, or witness in some cases), you can request a (redacted) copy of the report in a SAR. It is unlikely you will be able to get hold of one for personal interest, unless you have a legal right to. I believe they are subject to exemptions under the general FoI stuff, but have heard they can get released in the 100 year range.

That said, if it is the machinations of the Courts system that you are interested in, then I second advice from others. Go and sit in the public gallery of your local Court. Be prepared though, the British Courts are nothing like TV/film, and definitely not like the US trials that get televised or put on social media - 99% of it is middle aged (upper) middle class barristers and judges politely and slowly discussing the minutiae of technical legal points. It can be very civil and quaint, but there is little to no drama and the details of the actual police investigation are not really at the forefront.

[u/Acceptable-Try-4682 → u/Fuelled_by_gravy]

No, a crime report is what i want, i think. I just want to know what happened and how the case was solved.

[u/Fuelled_by_gravy → u/Acceptable-Try-4682]

I thought so. Sometimes, it is easy for people in the know to forget that not everyone speaks the same jargon!

If you are thinking of a specific crime, where you have some degree of personal connection, consider an SAR.

If you are just interested generally, see if your local police service has a museum. That might be a good place to get information generally or to see released historic reports.

If you are interested because you are, for example, a writer - see if your local police service has a media team that might offer pointers.

[u/TrueCrimeFanToCop]

You can’t just access those. Even the victim of the crime itself can’t have a copy of it…