Prosecutor Resources

In October 2017, the NRTAC held a 1.5 day convening with seasoned violent crime prosecutors, who discussed how to improve the investigation of violent crimes. Much of the focus was on the pre-arrest involvement of the prosecutor, particularly with regard to homicides. The convening provided a forum to compare notes and strategies and to debate the merits of each. The prosecutors represented jurisdictions large and small and came from cities spanning the nation, from the Bronx to Los Angeles.

The paper developed from the convening (right) tracks the various phases of an investigation and provides an overview of the issues discussed, along with representative descriptions of the approaches used and challenges faced by the participating jurisdictions. The examples are illustrative; they can vary with the circumstances and do not necessarily include the approach of each participant’s office. The goal of the paper is to prompt further thought and discussion in the field on best practice solutions.