Research Education Organisation New book De kunst van het opsporen (“The Art of Investigating”) offers insights into criminal investigation Written on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Criminal investigation entails more than merely collecting facts. It is about imagining scenarios, conducting acute analyses, and applying a structured approach. The new book De kunst van het opsporen offers students and professionals in-depth insights into that approach, as well as into the processes involved in criminal investigations. The author is Nicolien Kop, senior lecturer in crime control and criminal investigations studies at the Netherlands Police Academy’s Centre of Knowledge for Crime Control, Intelligence and Criminal Investigations. The book was co-authored with Geke van Boxem, criminal investigator on the ground, and Ruud Hulshof, lecturer at the Netherlands Police Academy. De kunst van het opsporen addresses essential questions such as: What is criminal investigation? How do you develop investigative competence? How do you construct a narrative that can be proven? And what is the role of scenarios in the investigative process? ‘I published a book on criminal investigation back in 2012, Opsporing belicht (“A light on criminal investigations”)’, says Nicolien. This book took a thematic approach to criminal investigations. I had only just become a senior lecturer and there was as yet no manual for criminal investigation. A great deal has changed since, both in education and in investigative practice. That is why I was asked to produce an updated version of the book. I got down to work together with Geke and Ruud. For this version, we focused on capturing the essence of the criminal investigator’s craftmanship by describing the process they follow.’ ‘Thinking critically and creatively’ In the introduction to the book, we read that the art of investigating is the ability to fit together the different pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, even if not all the information is readily available. And based on that, to make a reconstruction of the events as they really transpired. However, Nicolien is quick to point out, this is not a manual that says: ‘This is how you do it’. ‘Rather it’s a book that helps you think critically and at the same time creatively’, explains Nicolien. ‘It’s a book with a broad scope that can be used by students of the bachelor’s degree programme in Criminal Investigation over several years, from year 2 onwards. I am currently exploring whether we could write something similar for basic police training.’ Reasoning and context De kunst van het opsporen gives a more detailed explanation of how to describe a case as a narrative than the book Opsporing belicht, which focused more on the listing of facts in an official report. Public prosecutors and judges nowadays set greater store by the interpretation that is given to facts. Geke is already using this method in describing a case: not only building a solid reasoning but also adding context to the story.’ ‘The craftmanship of the criminal investigator lies in their ability to examine and interpret the significance of separate facts in conjunction. The book describes the actual process you go through when you conduct an investigation, and the fact that you can go through these steps several times. That’s because you never stop asking questions and never stop being amazed.’ ❛❛ Why do I see it in this way, and what if I looked at it from a different perspective? Keep asking questions ‘Being amazed means that you do not rush to form a judgement. And that you keep asking questions before drawing any conclusions’, explains Nicolien. ‘Asking questions about everything you see is important in every investigation. It is also important to be open-minded. You may make an assumption in your head, but it is very important to keep an open mind all the same.’ ‘So: why do I see it in this way, and what if I looked at it from a different perspective? And what does my colleague see? By constantly asking yourself these questions, you can avoid some of the pitfalls along the way. As a police officer, you often have to respond quickly, but as an investigator you must really avoid jumping to conclusions.’ Every other possibility in the course of the story is a scenario The book devotes much attention to scenario-based thinking. In scenario-based thinking, the focus is mainly on the use of the seven Ws* to reconstruct the criminal offence. However, there is much more to it. ‘A scenario-based approach is a tool for asking the right questions and making a reconstruction’, explains Nicolien. ‘Working methodically using this approach means placing different options side by side at each level of the story. This applies both to the main line of the events that took place and the various possible actions of the individuals involved.’ ‘Scenario-based investigation covers everything. Every other possibility in the course of the story could be regarded as a different scenario. By training your creativity, imagination, critical thinking and ability to ask different types of questions, you can develop yourself as an investigator. You learn to combine your legal way of looking at things with a flair for the narrative.’ *The seven Ws are what, which way, where, when, with what, why and who. Criminal investigation is an exciting and interesting profession ‘We really wrote the book with the intention of providing the criminal investigation profession with a platform. Investigative work is becoming more and more important and involves more and more people. As part of my research, I see and hear a great deal about how investigations are structured.’ ‘In the book, I incorporated the current state of thinking in scientific research into criminal investigation. For example, the book includes many references to interesting research and articles. Readers who wish to gain more in-depth knowledge will find this book a useful guide.’ ‘My intention was to compile this knowledge to make it available to new students, including those starting the bachelor’s degree in Criminal Investigation, which is a new programme. Finally, we also applied a broader perspective. The book is not only for other students in higher professional education for whom security is part of their curriculum, but also for citizens who are interested in criminal investigation. Society is quite curious about what the criminal investigation profession entails and how an investigation works. De kunst van het opsporen provides real answers to those questions.’ The book De kunst van het opsporen was presented at the Netherlands Police Academy’s main campus in Apeldoorn on Wednesday 2 April 2025.