Abstract
This chapter examines the criminal investigations carried out by one of Argentina’s federal police forces, focusing on interactions between the police and other key actors in the penal prosecution system. Guiding questions include the following: to what extent are police free to choose what to investigate and how to investigate it? What role does the judiciary play in directing criminal investigations? What interests and competencies do these actors introduce into the dynamics of criminal investigations? Our findings draw on original empirical evidence, including data on criminal cases involving the Airport Security Police during the 2006–2016 period and first-hand testimonies of members of the police, the public ministry, and the judiciary. The main argument is that judges and prosecutors involved in the criminal investigation process act strategically, not passively. Interactions with these strategic operators influence police decisions about when, what, and how to investigate. Moreover, this chapter shows there is certain police discretion in criminal investigation, which is considered by both police and judicial actors as part of the police force’s investigative know-how: they are on the ground, carrying out specific functions that judicial actors do not and cannot replicate.
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