MURDER AT PORTO BEACH

Office number 5Team Members: Jennifer Carberry, Laura Mullen, Janet Maconi,

Annie Talabi, Abdul Mojhid, Zahra Hussain, Quinisha Cawthon, Aleesha Akbar, Rebecca Leap, Katie Campbell,

OFFICE 5 REPORT This report has been produced with the

aim of summarising the main work by Office 5 over a 5 week long investigation of six murders in PortoBeach...

INVESTIGATION WEEK ONE – GATHERING INTELLIGENCE Week one consisted of the team introducing themselves and

deciding on roles which best suited everyone’s skills. (Excluding latecomers Quinisha Cawthon, Aleesha Akbar,

Rebecca Leap, and Katie Campbell who were all assigned roles when they joined)

Specific case studies were contributed by each member which included varied cases of serial family murder, child murder, domestic murder, gang-related murders, and football-related murders

Discussions on these specific case studies commenced

Victim profiling commenced and continued into week two

The Senior Investigation Officer appointed was Janet Maconi

WEEK ONE - KEY FINDINGSThe key skills exercised in week one were: Communication skills - we discussed in depth the specific

nature of the murders and how they could be linked Group work and co-operation - in decision making during the

development of victim profiles Creativity – in the development of victim profiles with a

unique theme of retaliation organised crime related killings. All contributions were well thought out and imaginative.

Critical and analytical skills – in discussing the case studies e.g. we discovered that gathering evidence is essential but not all evidence should be taken at ‘face-value’ such as, confessions which can be a coerced

Research skills – everyone displayed their ability to

find and analyse a case study article to contribute

KEY FINDINGS CONTINUED...The murder victims were found to have the following

characteristics: Gender: 5 male, 1 female Race: 4 caucasian, 1 hispanic and 1 black carribbean; Class: 3 working class, 3 middle class; various

occupations Locality: 2 inside licensed premises; 1 inside residence; 2

outside residence and 1 unknown Weapon choice linked all murders i.e. Knife; all were

killed by a single stab wound All victims (apart from the initial murder) had

one finger cut off linking the murders All victims were witnesses to the killing of a

notorious gangster creating a further link to

organised crime groups

THE INVESTIGATION TEAM

Janet (UWF) - Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) Annie (MMU) - Public Information Coordinator (PIC) Laura (GCU) - Public Information Researcher (PIR) Rebecca (MMU) - Public Information Researcher (PIR) 2 Jennifer (GCU) - Public Information Officer (PIO) Abdul (MMU) - Geographic Information Analyst (GIA) Katie (MMU) - Geographic Information Analyst (GIA) 2  Zahra (MMU) - Statistical Analyst (SA) Aleesha Akbar (MMU) - Statistical Analyst (SA) 2 Quinisha (UWF) - Evidence Disclosure Officer (EDO) Ana (MMU) - Evidence Disclosure Officer (EDO)

INVESTIGATION WEEK TWO - STATISTICAL TASKQuestion 1 – Compared to England, Scotland and Florida would you

consider PortoBeach to have a high/average/low murder rate?

The statistical analysis of data found: It was discovered that Scotland had a rate of 1.9, in comparison

with England with 1.37 and Florida with 6.4, so between these three it is clear that Florida has the highest murder rate.

However, when compared to the murder rate for PortoBeach, which was found to be 3.82, it is clear that PortoBeach’s rate is higher than both Scotland and England but lower than Florida. Therefore, it could be considered average. The table below clearly represents this finding.

WEEK TWO FINDINGS CONT...Question 2 – Is the murder rate at PortoBeach stable/rising/falling?

The statistical analysis of data found: In terms of the murder rates of Porto Beach, it was agreed that

there was no stability in PortoBeach’s murder rate as the figures rise and fall throughout the year with no identifiable pattern. This finding is represented by the chart below which shows the rate of murder by month from April 2008 to September 2009:

WEEK TWO FINDINGS CONTINUED... However, when analysing figures on a year by year basis

(as the table below shows) it can be seen that the rate has been rising year by year from April to September 2008-2009, rather than on a month by month basis. There has been an increase for every comparable month with the exception of June only

WEEK TWO – BUDGET CUTS TASKHow the team responded to budget cuts and an

additional new murder: The team agreed that we should try to make savings

by reducing resources in other areas by re-directing police resources to immediate concerns, appealing for more public cooperation, and using the media more actively

We also argued that due to the special circumstances we should put pressure on government officials for additional funding

In response to the occurrence of a sixth murder, police presence was to be re-directed to the PortoBeach area to reduce public unrest

WEEK TWO - KEY SKILLS EXERCISED The key skills exercised in week two were: Research Skills – displayed by team members

finding and contributing statistical data from each locality

Literacy and Numeracy Skills – demonstrated by the team when completing and discussing the statistical analysis. In the discussion of the analysis, it was recognised that data must be analysed with care as one set of data told us that the rate of murder in PortoBeach was unstable and another that it was rising

Communication Skills – resolutions for the budget cuts were thoughtfully discussed

Problem Solving Skills – actions were devised to remain effective whilst working on a budget

INVESTIGATION WEEK THREE – COMMUNITY LINKSScotland’s Community Links Scottish Witness Liaison Unit

provides support and assistance to witnesses under threat to ensure they can provide evidence securely and safely

Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT)

aims “to put serious criminals behind bars”

Florida’s Community Links Bridgeway Center Inc Palm Beach County Victim Services

England’s Community Links SOCA (Serious and Organised Crime Agency) Crime Reduction Partnership UK

WEEK THREE INVESTIGATION - VIGILANTISM

This week the following question was discussed:

What does vigilantism mean to the authority of the police? There is not a solitary definition but ‘vigilantism’ as a term

encompasses the taking of the law into ones own hands, often by means of violence; removing authority from the police to tackle crime by potentially producing more crime themselves and therefore wasting police time

A vigilante group, also labelled as ‘outlaws’, seek to address issues which, to them, have not been dealt with sufficiently by the authorities. This attitude and expression of it in public can undermine the efforts made by the police

Vigilante behaviour can cause moral panics by raising issues of concern coercively, putting more pressure on the police

Despite negative connotations of vigilante behaviour, ‘vigilant’ groups with positive impacts do exist. For example, Neighbourhood Watch Schemes who co-operate with the police authorities

WEEK THREE - KEY SKILLS EXERCISEDKey skills exercised in week three include: Research Skills – in searching and reported

community links from each locality Communication, Critical and Analytical Skills – in

discussing vigilantism from various perspectives e.g. as a positive phenomena and in a negative light

Team work and Creativity – members were contributing examples of vigilante groups and movies encompassing ideas of vigilantism

Self Management Skills – everyone displayed the ability to individually contribute relevant community links

INVESTIGATION WEEK FOUR – PRESS RELEASEKey points communicated in the press release: An announcement of progress being made in the investigation The awareness of the link to organised crime was raised to reduce

fear in the community by assuring the low risk of victimisation The launch of the zero tolerance campaign detailing efforts being

made with increased police patrols of ‘hotspot’ areas and licensed premises which constituted the most common locus

An announcement of our multi-agency approach to tackling organised crime through the sharing of intelligence with international community links

A clear message was sent to vigilante groups to inform them that their behaviour is not and will not be tolerated

An invite was made to the public to join the fight to tackle organised crime and to assist in the investigation, informing of how their actions hinder investigations

An appeal for information was made to the public and by taking fear of victimisation into account, the alternative choice of emailing information was offered

OFFICER ACCOUNTS... Each officer will now give a reflective

account of the investigation from their own perspective...

LAURA MULLEN (PIR) I believe I have satisfied my role as Public Information Researcher to the

best of my ability and beyond! Contributions made:

Researched each task at every opportunity, reported back information and shared references with the team regularly, produced a media campaign and press release, provided regular updates to the team, encouraged team work throughout, initiated and engaged in all discussions, made attempts to improve operations and processes, made all contributions in a timely manner, co-operated consistently with others etc

The biggest challenge faced:

Gaining participation from team members was difficult with the exception of a few who deserve recognition for their contributions (namely Jennifer, Janet, Annie and Abdul). This lack of involvement did hinder the investigation significantly

Useful skills acquired:

Excellent time management skills by meeting weekly deadlines early, increased creativity due to the fictional nature of the investigation, improved online communication skills due to participating in regular discussions

JENNIFER CARBERRY (PIO)Contributions I have made: I contributed to all discussions by giving my opinions and suggesting new

ideas which could help the team. I made a conscious effort to complete all the tasks in time, in order to allow

for further discussions to take place about our findings. I initiated the start of the PowerPoint presentation and helped edit it.

Biggest challenge: I would suggest the biggest challenge faced in this hub was the lack of

involvement by other group members. As many of the tasks specified group discussions it became difficult to complete, as many members were absent. Where the tasks asked for a comparison between all three countries it became difficult as we were missing vital findings from some students.

Skills acquired: I have developed my communication skills by taking part in this hub group,

as a vital part of the success included daily discussions of tasks. I have also enhanced my research skills, by searching for statistics and

information relating to the tasks, this, I feel could benefit me in future employment.

ABDUL MOJHID (GIA)Contributions Made I believe that I contributed my fair share to the investigation. I will however

admit that some other team members contributed significantly more ( Laura, Jennifer, Annie and Janet). Reflecting on this, I could have played a bigger role.

I participated in most discussions regarding our investigation as well as trying to add some humour to the team.

As for my role within the team, I feel that I did it well. I established the basic plotline which was improved upon by other key members of the team.

Difficulties One major difficulty was team participation. Not all of the team members

participated and there are a few who I don’t think even logged in. Thankfully, we had members who were willing to pick up the slack who are mentioned above.

There are a few other obstacles that we came across but these were easily overcome thanks to Janet, who was willing to guide.

Skills Acquired I have improved my research skills as I needed to search for several statistics

which were from a credible source. I have also improved on my communication skills as we were required to take

part in multiple discussions

JANET MACONI (SIO)Contributions I have made: Completed all individual weekly tasks on time Preparing the weekly report for the police Chief each week Actively participated in discussions each week Attempted to encourage team members to participate and complete weekly

tasks in a timely manner

Biggest challenge: The lack of communication between members was the biggest challenge. My

role is to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, and streamline work processes. The first week we did not complete our task on time, but each week we did complete each task quicker than the week before. Once we became aware that many of our members were not participating, active members of the group took on their responsibilities and we were able to complete our assignments. Jennifer and Laura took the initiative each week in beginning each tasks and Annie, Abdul, and I followed their lead.

Skills acquired: I have learned some research skills from this assignment; the statistics task

taught me how to compare statistics from different areas that may not all be measured in the same way.

I also learned time management skills and how to work with others to complete a task despite lack of participation, which meant fulfilling the roles of those members who were inactive during the project.

ALEESHA AKBAR (SA 2) Contributions made: Individual tasks completed

Participated in some discussions

I Could have participated more then I did

Biggest challenge: Keeping up to date with the tasks. I completed most tasks, but some I had no idea

about, such as the budget task. A few times I struggled understanding what the tasks required us to do. My group members however did a great job explaining what we had to do, therefore I was able to complete tasks with their help.

Skills acquired: Time management

Improved research skills

Improved communication skills

ZAHRA HUSSAIN (SA)Contributions I have made: Completed all individual weekly tasks on time

Tried to contribute to discussions

Biggest challenge:

I felt that my biggest challenge was communicating with the group, I felt that some members of the group had a bigger influence and thus for this reason at times I felt I did not know what I was doing as I already found the tasks quite confusing.

Skills acquired: I feel that I have picked up some research skills and have learnt how to

compare statistics as this was my weakness.

I learnt that although we worked in a group a lot of this project was done individually and in order to gain a voice you have to in put quickly and sufficiently.

ANNIE TALABI (PIC) CONTRIBUTIONS MADE:

I always made sure that I completed all of the weekly tasks.Organised the roles at the beginning, reminding the group of everyone’s roles.Created several pages for each weekly task.Contributed to discussions within the group.I feel I contributed well to the team. It wasn’t always easy but it was still manageable, making regular contributions to the team page and updating weekly tasks that were set

BIGGEST CHALLENGES:Late comers- It was a bit difficult at first because when we started we only had 5 people in our group which made it quite hard as this meant that we had to wait for people before we could fully begin, as we didn’t want anybody to miss out and it wouldn’t have been fair for our group if we had more than one role.Messages- members of the group were not checking there messages regularly which made it a bit hard sometimes to make decisions when no one replied

USEFUL SKILLS AQUIRED:Interpersonal skills-Communication skills- Over the past few weeks whilst working as part of an online multi-disciplinary team, my communication skills have improved immensely by taking part in group discussion and participating in weekly tasks