Examining English and Welsh Detectives’ Views of Online Crime

• Published date: 01 March 2021
• Date: 01 March 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/1057567719846224
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

Examining English and

Welsh Detectives’ Views

of Online Crime

Jin R. Lee

1

, Thomas J. Holt

1

,

George W. Burruss

2

, and Adam M. Bossler

3

Abstract

The advancement of the Internet and digital technology has enabled individuals to commit crimes

affecting both virtual and real targets at will. Criminological scholarship related to cybercrime and

technology-enabled offending has primarily focused on offenders and victims, calling to question how

police agencies effectively respond to these incidents. Limited empirical research has largely focused

on line officers, who view these cyber offenses to be less serious in comparison to traditional crimes.

Research examining the perceptions of detectives and inspectors is virtually nonexistent, though

they are much more likely to have an investigative responsibility to pursue offenders and engage with

citizens about the offense. Thus, there is a need to understand the attitudes inspectors hold toward

online crime in order to improve our knowledge of police views and inform policy makers in building

effective strategies to aid their response to unique and emerging crime types. This study examined

the attitudinal factors associated with online crimes and incidents using a sample of 155 inspectors

from 26 local agencies across England and Wales. The implications of this study for both police

detectives and law enforcement agencies are discussed in detail.

Keywords

online crime, cybercrime, technology, policing, detectives

The Internet and digital technology have substantially altered the way individuals interact with

one another (Brenner, 2008; Holt & Bossler, 2015; Wall, 2007; Yar, 2013). Tools and platforms such

as e-mail, social networking sites, and smartphones have allowed individuals to share private

information almost instantaneously with mass audiences (Holt & Bossler, 2015; Wall, 2007; Yar,

2013). A recent report by the Office for National Statistics (2017) noted that 96%of persons aged

16–24 in the United Kingdom use social media services. Additionally, an International

1

School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

2

Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

3

Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jin R. Lee, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, 138 Baker Hall, 65 5 Auditorium Road , East Lansing,

MI 48824, USA.

Email: leejin26@msu.edu

International CriminalJustice Review

2021, Vol. 31(1) 20-39

ª2019 Georgia State University

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sagepub.com/journals-permissions

DOI: 10.1177/1057567719846224

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Telecommunications Union (2017) report found that 71%of people aged 15–24 use the Internet

daily. Commonplace activities such as paying bills or going shopping have also been enhanced by

the proliferation of digital services such as online ban king and e-commerce platforms (Holt &

Bossler, 2015).

The development of the Internet has also created concurrent opportunities to engage in a range of

offenses online and off-line. Economic crimes, such as various forms of fraud, are facilitated by

computer-mediated communications platforms inc luding e-mail and social media (Cross, 2015;

Reyns, 2013; Reyns & Henson, 2016). In addition, person-based offenses like bullying and stalking

have been amplified by technology, increasing contact points between victims and offenders (Bocij,

2002; Choi & Lee, 2017; Choi, Lee, & Lee, 2017; Patchin & Hinduja, 2012). As a result, policy

makers, scholars, and police administrators have advocated for changes in the response mechanisms

of law enforcement to more effectively combat cybercrimes (Bossler & Holt, 2012; Cross, 2015;

Holt, Burruss, & Bossler, 2015; Lanier & Cooper, 2016; Levi, Doig, Gundur, Wall, & Williams,

2016; Police Executive Research Forum, 2014).

Many have noted the disparity in resources dedicated to the investigation of cybercrimes

compared to traditional off-line crimes, especially at the local level where police and constables

are expected to serve as first responders who secure the scene, compile evidence, and assess

potential witnesses regardless of the nature of the offense (Goodman, 1997; Holt, Bossler, &

Fitzgerald, 2010; Huey, 2002; Levi et al., 2016; National Institute of Justice, 2008; Police Exec-

utive Research Forum, 2014; Stambaugh et al., 2001). To date, research on local police and

constables demonstrates line officers are generally uninterested in responding to cybercrimes and

feels less confident investigating online incidents than off-line ones (Holt & Bossler, 2012; Holt,

Burruss, & Bossler, 2015; Holt, Lee, Liggett, Holt, & Bossler, 2019; Huey, 2002). In addition,

local officers in the United States tend to believe that specialized units should take primary

responsibility in the investigation of cybercrimes and related offenses (Holt & Bossler, 2012).

U.S. police organizations are increasingly moving toward such a response model, though it is

unclear if this is a function of a lack of concern among first responders or mandates from police

management (Marcum & Higgins, 2011; Willits & Nowacki, 2016).

The lack of interest in responding to cybercrime among line officers calls to quest ion how other

law enforcement officers consider these offenses. For instance, prior research suggests evidence

and investigative details cultivated by responding line officers have a greater impact on clearance

rates than do the practices of detectives or inspectors (Bloch & Weidman, 1975; Eck, 1983;

Chaiken, Greenwood, & Petersilia, 1977). If line officers do not consider cybercrime cases to

be of equivalent importance to street crimes or are unable to properly handle these crime scenes,

this may hinder the subsequent investigations performed by detectives (Hinduja, 2007). Such

practices may also negatively impact detectives’ views of cybercrime cases, though there is

virtually no empirical research to date considering the views of detectives and inspectors in the

field related to cybercrimes. Limited scholarship suggests detectives and inspectors may be more

effective at investigating cybercrime cases because of the complex technical skills associated with

online crimes and incidents (Hinduja, 2007).

It is essential this gap in the literature be addressed to gain insight into how detectives interpret

policies toward cybercrime investigation and victim responses (Holt et al., 2015; Levi et al., 2016).

Understanding the attitudes of detectives can be used to improve training and resources to investi-

gate these offenses. Such research is particularly critical for those countries with a robust local police

response to cybercrime, as in the United Kingdom where local law enforcement is increasingly

responsible for the investigation of certain forms of cybercrime by national mandate (Her Majesty’s

Inspectorate of Constabulary, 2017; Levi et al., 2016). This study attempted to address these

questions using data collected from 155 inspectors across 26 local agencies in England and Wales.

The results provide direct implicatio ns for both inspectors and police management to im prove

Lee et al.21