Analysis and Evaluation of Internal and External Environments for Proactive Detection of Armed Robbery

Proactive crime detection refers to the process where the police discover a crime and take action to apprehend the perpetrator before the victim files a complaint. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and evaluate the internal and external environments for proactive detection of armed robbery in the Criminal Investigation Department using the SWOT method.

This research employs a mixed-method approach (qualitativequantitative). The statistical population includes experts, specialists, and particularly detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Iranian Police (FARAJA). The qualitative sample size, determined by data saturation, includes 20 individuals selected through purposive sampling. The quantitative sample size includes 214 individuals, evaluated through stratified random sampling. Additionally, the SWOT method was used to assess and analyze the internal and external environments for proactive detection of armed robbery in the Criminal Investigation Department.

The total strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from the evaluation of the internal and external environments for proactive detection of armed robbery in the current situation are (1. 776) and (2. 165), respectively. These results fall within the defensive strategies quadrant of the SWOT matrix, which focuses on avoiding threats by eliminating weaknesses. In the future scenario, the total strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from the evaluation of the internal and external environments for proactive detection of armed robbery in the Criminal Investigation Department are (2. 402) and (2. 962), respectively. These results fall within the conservative strategies quadrant of the SWOT matrix, which focuses on exploiting opportunities by eliminating weaknesses.

To move out of the defensive strategies quadrant of the SWOT matrix in the process of proactive detection of armed robbery and particularly to reduce existing weaknesses, the Criminal Investigation Department needs to develop new strategies and operationalize them.