The activities of the investigator in planning the investigation environmental crimes and ways to optimize it

The increase in the number of registered environmental crimes in Russia and the strengthening of their transnational nature are of concern to scientists, both in our country and abroad. Lorraine Elliott notes the significant economic consequences of crime in the environmental sphere and focuses on improving the quality of the investigation, as one of the options for optimizing the situation. Reserves for improving the current situation can be found in improving the quality of the work of investigators in planning the investigation of environmental crimes. Based on the study of the materials of criminal cases qualified under articles of Chapter 26 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation «Environmental crimes», according to a specially developed questionnaire, taking into account the available forensic research in this area, it was possible to come to some conclusions. Planning the investigation as a whole, as well as conducting individual investigative actions on crimes in the field of ecology, is an integral part of the investigator's activity. The improvement of this work can be achieved by: a) the precise determination of the investigative situation that has developed at a certain point in the investigation; b) reasonable promotion of investigative versions, taking into account the analysis of criminally significant information collected and the developing investigative situation; c) improving the quality of interaction of the investigator with employees of other departments of his department, with employees of other law enforcement and environmental authorities during the planned investigative actions, operational-search and other measures of a procedural and organizational nature. The obtained conclusions can be used in the preparation of methodological recommendations for the investigation of environmental crimes, improving the existing private methods of investigating environmental crimes, creating a methodology for investigating environmental crimes of certain groups, for example, related to the removal of natural resources from the environment. The implementation of the proposed positions in the practical activities of law enforcement agencies can increase the detection of crimes of the studied category, contribute to the optimization of the investigation of environmental crimes. Improving the quality of the investigation of environmental crimes by improving planning activities contributes to the inevitability of the onset of punishment, which can strengthen the prevention of the commission of such illegal acts. The article is of interest to postgraduates, adjuncts, masters, students, cadets and trainees, teachers of law schools, as well as practitioners of law enforcement agencies.

environmental crimes, investigation methodology, investigation planning, investigative situation, investigative version, interaction