Economic Crime Investigator
Role Purpose
This profile has recently been updated to include the CVF 2024 and core skills, and the new version can be found on College Learn by entering the Profile title in the search function. Please note this profile is out of date and is in the process of being reviewed.
The Specialist Economic Crime Investigator gathers and reviews material, intelligence and evidence and undertakes crime investigation duties in the area of economic crime, those are crimes that might involve, but not limited to; Fraud, money laundering, bribery and corruption forgery and counterfeiting. The specialist Fraud investigator should seek to gather materials and intelligence to support the disruption, prevention and investigation of economic crime. They will seek to manage the issues relating to harm, loss and susceptibility to manage and support the impact of economic crimes on victim(s).
Key Accountabilities
• Collect and gather material, intelligence from a range of sources that are appropriate to economic crime investigations, record and retain evidence in a format that is evidentially admissible to support the investigative process.
• Identify and plan own investigative actions needed to pursue those suspected of involvement in economic crime, taking into account resources, priorities, and proportionality to achieve investigatory objectives.
• Assess threat, harm and risk of risk in order to develop and implement plans and strategies to disrupt and prevent economical crime.
• Use relevant economic crime legislation to apprehend and manage suspects, utilising the range of regulatory sanctions.
• Complete risk assessments and provide appropriate support to protect victims during an investigation, through the formulation of a victim strategy, working with the Victim Care Unit and others, to ensure the wellbeing of victim(s), and mitigating against future susceptibility to economic crime.
• Work with partner agencies, specialists and managers to harness specialist capabilities to maximise the effectiveness of the investigation.
• Ensure all material, including exhibits generated by economic crime investigation are recovered, examined, and retained in accordance with legislation and policy.
• Manage materials and prepare reports on the outcome of investigations to build and manage case files and fulfilling disclosure requirements to comply with relevant legislation.
• Provide advice and support to colleagues, both nationally and internationally, to progress ongoing economic crime investigations.
• Undertake international enquiries, using applicable legislation and guidance to support international economic crime investigations.
Behaviours
All roles are expected to know, understand and act within the ethics and values of the Police Service.
The Competency and Values Framework (CVF) has six competencies that are clustered into three groups. Under each competency are three levels that show what behaviours will look like in practice.
It is suggested that this role should be operating or working towards the following levels of the CVF:
Resolute, compassionate and committed
Inclusive, enabling and visionary leadership
Intelligent, creative and informed policing
Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Prior education and experience:
• Successful completion of applicable entry training and undertake training to achieve Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) level 1 accreditation.
• Undertake PIP 2 investigator learning and development to achieve Professional Investigation Programme (PIP) 2 Investigator accreditation.
• Demonstrable experience of complex information gathering and problem solving.
• A detailed understanding of the criminal justice system.
Skills:
• Good communication skills with the ability to listen, empathise, provide support and adapt language, form, and message to meet the needs of different people / audiences.
• Skilled in the use of use IT packages, systems and/or databases to fulfil role requirements.
• Able to break down a complex problem into component parts and determine appropriate action in investigations.
• Ability to work effectively in a team to achieve shared objectives, demonstrating awareness of individual differences and providing support and advice as required.
• Able to review own performance objectively and to develop and follow an appropriate improvement plan.
• Able to plan own work and plan ahead, as well as identify and mitigate risks to delivery.
• Able to proactively develop effective working relationships with colleagues, partners and other stakeholders.
• Able to produce clear and concise reports and other documents within best practice procedures.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Maintain PIP level 2 accreditation by keeping a record of recent experience of conducting different types of serious and complex investigations which evidences the knowledge and skills that you have gained.
• Complete Specialist Fraud Investigators Programme.
• Maintain an up to date understanding of Police Regulations and College of Policing Guidance, best practice and any local policy applicable to the operational police context.
• Maintain and update key knowledge, understanding and skills relating to criminology, legislation, policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational policing.
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence based policing research and problem solving, test and synthesise these into working practice, championing innovation and changes to practice.
• Maintain a working knowledge and understanding of new and evolving crime threats and priorities and current best practice to tackle these in order to enable a pro-active and preventative approach.
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence based policing research and problem solving, test and synthesise these into working practice, championing innovation and changes to practice.
• Understand the impact of the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) Learning the Lessons reports relating to investigation, e.g. importance of case file management.
• Familiarise yourself with other relevant IOPC reports, e.g. Police use of force: evidence from complaints, investigations and public perception and relevant HMICFRS (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services) reports e.g. PEEL Assessments.
• Read the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) guidance on investigative practices, Relations with the Police and apply.
• Regularly share best practice for investigations with colleagues e.g. contribute to relevant POLKA communities or deliver informal briefings.
• Maintain a working knowledge of how other government agencies, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), can assist in the investigation of cases.
• Understand and develop knowledge of other roles within policing e.g. work alongside other colleagues in another department to further operational knowledge of one other’s roles.
• Coach and/or mentor less experienced colleagues e.g. PIP1 Investigators and deliver training sessions to support learning and development.
• Where appropriate, keep up-to-date with guidance on conducting the Performance Development Review (PDR) process and apply this to your work.
• Where appropriate, ensure knowledge of any line-manager responsibilities in relation to Assessment and Recognition of Competence (ARC) procedures and apply to your work.
• Where appropriate, maintain knowledge and skills relating to work-based assessments in order to conduct these when necessary.
Professional Registration/Licenses
PIP Accreditation
• Assessed competence against relevant professional standards for this role is required to achieve PIP 2 Investigator accreditation. Maintenance of this accreditation requires the demonstration of continued competence against professional standards as well as evidence of CPD, in line with the College’s Model.
• Specialist Fraud Investigators Register
Links to other Profiles
Economic Crime Investigative Manager