The National Case Closed Project

In the past few years, many U.S. cities have experienced elevated levels of violence, including fatal and nonfatal shootings. When these violent crimes take place, law enforcement agencies investigate and work to solve or “clear” as many of them as possible. Despite their efforts, U.S. law enforcement agencies clear fewer than half of all reported violent crimes on average. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the national clearance rate for severe violent crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, was approximately 41% in 2023. Importantly, agencies vary in their effectiveness to clear violent crimes: some solve less than 10% of nonfatal shootings and less than 25% of fatal shootings each year. The recent uptick in shootings combined with labor shortages in law enforcement has taxed law enforcement agencies nationwide and made it even more challenging to solve violent crimes.

Responding to the need to improve violent crime clearance rates

In response to the need to improve violent crime clearance rates, RTI International is leading the National Case Closed Project, an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). This project provides targeted and foundational support to improve how law enforcement agencies and their jurisdictional partners respond to, investigate, and successfully clear violent crimes, with an emphasis on fatal and nonfatal shootings.

RTI’s approach to increase crime clearance rates

Research has shown that both agency and investigative characteristics affect the likelihood that a crime is cleared. Studies also show that the relationship between a law enforcement agency and the communities it serves can impact clearance rates through victim and witness participation in investigations.

The National Case Closed project team addresses the following activities to identify effective and sustainable practices and to support changes related to agency operations, staffing, resources, technology, and partnerships:

1. Site selection: Select 10 law enforcement agencies for agency assessments.
2. Evidence-based agency assessment: Conduct a structured assessment using evidence-based models.
3. Recommendations, training, and technical assistance (TTA): Create and assemble a comprehensive set of resources focused on sustainable and effective change and provide tailored support for sites implementing changes.
4. National convenings: Host national convenings focused on peer to peer learning, innovation, partnerships, and impact.
5. Dissemination: Summarize findings and recommendations with an emphasis on translatable and practical guidance.

RTI and its partners are working to improve public safety and increase clearance rates

RTI has a proven ability to work with law enforcement agencies, conduct high-quality and targeted agency assessments, provide TTA, establish evidence-based policies and practices, and disseminate information effectively to the field. A particular strength of RTI’s approach is the close integration of executing rigorous assessments that produce actionable recommendations and providing site-specific TTA that impacts operations, policies, and practices. TTA is provided by a team of experts who are national leaders in investigations, evidence collection and crime scene processing, prosecution, victim advocacy, and forensic science. The TTA materials summarize key findings and recommendations from the agency assessments, with an emphasis on translatable and practical guidance for rapid implementation and sustainable, effective practices that BJA can implement nationally.

In addition to these deliverables, RTI works with BJA to develop and disseminate other useful tools and materials for the field, including guides for prioritizing agency expenditures to increase clearance rates and for hiring and training effective  investigators and other personnel. Resources that have been collected and developed by RTI on these topics, can be found on the NCCP Toolkit.

Increasing crime clearance rates is an important way to improve public safety in the United States, as the certainty of arrest can deter individuals from committing violence and interrupt escalations in violence Additionally, successfully solving these crimes provides closure to victims and their loved ones after a traumatic event and shows residents that the justice system is an effective way of achieving safety. Findings from the National Case Closed Project will have wide-reaching effects that will benefit law enforcement agencies, their partners, and the communities they serve.

Feedback from our partners:

I’ve learned that there is a burning desire for law enforcement professionals to offer the best service that we can to our citizens. We all care about our communities; we have family members and loved ones that live in these communities that we serve. So today with the crowd and the diversity of people in the room, it really inspires me, and I’m hopeful that we will be able to serve and protect the way the citizens expect us too.
— Stephanie Mardis, Assistant Chief of Police, Greensboro Police Department (NC)

I wish all survivors could be here to see [this work]. To see law enforcement and RTI really working to help solve and close cases. I know I talk to so many survivors and collect their stories and if they could just see how much you all care, it would make such a difference.
— Debra Gillispie, Founder, Mothers Against Gun Violence, Milwaukee, WI