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OPTIMIZING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FUNCTIONS IN HANDLING MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT: EVIDENCE FROM THE SEBERANG ULU I POLICE SECTOR, PALEMBANG
Abstract
Motor vehicle theft remains a recurring law-enforcement challenge, yet empirical studies examining investigative effectiveness at the sector-police level and the structural constraints that shape investigative performance remain limited. This study examines the function of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Seberang Ulu I Police Sector in handling motor vehicle theft and identifies the institutional and community-level factors that constrain investigative effectiveness. The study employs a qualitative descriptive approach. Primary data were obtained through field observation of police activities, while secondary data consisted of police reports concerning motor vehicle theft during April–May 2024, institutional documentation, and relevant legal and academic literature. The data were analyzed descriptively and thematically by identifying recurring patterns in investigative capacity, organizational resources, legal constraints, and police–community relations. The findings indicate that investigative effectiveness is shaped by the interaction between internal organizational capacity and external environmental conditions. Internally, limited investigative personnel, constrained operational funding, inadequate facilities and infrastructure, and reported pressure on investigators reduce the capacity of the Criminal Investigation Unit to conduct timely and comprehensive investigations. Externally, unclear or fragmented legal provisions, low public legal awareness, limited community legal education, geographical conditions, and challenges associated with the application of regulations concerning minor offences complicate case detection, evidence gathering, and follow-up investigations. These findings demonstrate that investigative effectiveness cannot be assessed solely from the ability to arrest suspects, but must also be understood through institutional capacity, investigative effort, crime-prevention practices, and police–community cooperation. This finding is consistent with evidence-based policing research emphasizing organizational policies, investigative effort, technology, patrol activity, and community involvement as relevant factors in investigative outcomes (Prince, Lum, and Koper 2021). The study concludes that strengthening motor vehicle theft enforcement requires an integrated strategy combining investigative capacity, preventive policing, community participation, adequate operational resources, and professional accountability. At the sector-police level, strengthening investigator capacity and improving coordination with communities and relevant institutions are particularly important for improving the effectiveness and legitimacy of criminal justice responses.
Keywords: Law Enforcement; Criminal Investigation; Motor Vehicle Theft; Police Investigative Capacity; Criminal Justice SystemFull Text:
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.36987/jiad.v14i3.9079
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