Are Investigation Plans at Risk of Becoming ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’?

The rise in complexity and severity of crime calls for innovations in investigative approaches in law enforcement. Ideally, investigation plans (I-plans) are an important improvement in procedural standards and hypothesis-driven methodology that ensures improved clear-up rates, notoriety of evidence and, ultimately, the legal rights of all actors involved. But these potentials are only realised if the expressed ideal behind the I-plan is put into practice. Based on Knutsen’s (2020) critical examination of investigators’ reasoning of the use of I-plans in practice, where Hartmann and Bjørkelo acted as supervisors, we question to what extent I-plans are actually being used as intended or are at risk of becoming ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’. After contextualising the expressed goals and intentions behind the implementation of the I-plan, in the Norwegian Police Service (NPS), we present the study’s key insights and implications for future consideration.