Preliminary investigations are most effective when the officer views the work as a process rather than as a series of simple mechanical tasks. This approach also provides a guide for first responding officers to select appropriate initial investigative procedures. The Rochester, N.Y., Police Department researched the preliminary investigation process by studying 500 cleared burglary cases to determine what factors led to crime solution. Findings indicated that the success of criminal investigations can be greatly improved by implementing a preliminary investigation strategy. The preliminary investigation should determine if an offense has occurred, identify and assist the victim, identify crime solvability factors, communicate the crime circumstances, and identify complete and incomplete investigative tasks. Ways of improving preliminary investigations are discussed. 1 reference.