After an objective reflection about investigations, I realize that there are certain fundamental misconceptions about investigations that television programs and movies convey. One of the main misconceptions is that forensic investigations and lab work are completed as fast as seen in the movies. The time of investigation portrayed by the movies seems to portray that an investigation takes incredibly short time. For instance, some movies convey that the results of a DNA test are achieved almost immediately.
In addition, there is a misconception that investigations are as accurate as in the movies and TV shows. In practice, some investigation processes do not get accurate details due to unavoidable circumstances and limitations such as natural processes or human mistakes. These are not captured in movies as they portray an ideal environment and perfect circumstances for investigations. This explains why most of the crimes in the movies are solved within a short time, and with no unsolvable limitations.
Of these misconceptions, I think the most serious is the one about the time taken to investigate and solve cases. It makes people think that a crime can be investigated and solved within the shortest times as conveyed by movies and television shows. Last year, a colleague had such a situation, where she thought that the person who stole her electronics and phone could be captured within a week. It took over two months to apprehend the perpetrators, and she did not recover the looted property.
The effect of these misconceptions is creating ideal and high expectations about investigations by the public. People expect investigations to be concluded faster than normal, and with perfect accuracy, just like in the movies. However, the movies and films show the qualities of an effective investigator such as timeliness. The movies teach investigators to be timely and take no unnecessary delays during investigations. In addition, the movies portray the quality being critical, where investigators should be critical of every issue in an investigation. In comparison with real life investigators follow the same investigative processes, but in the real circumstances unlike the ideal situations conveyed by the movies.