They referred to practical problems which together significantly reduce chances of success, such as the jurisdictional problems and unfamiliarity with complex maritime laws, the late reporting since the best chances of solving any crime are during the first 24 hours and the practical difficulties in obtaining comprehensive accounts from witnesses in acceptable formats. They indicated that genuine success in law enforcement is almost always achieved through hard work and perseverance over long periods, that some of the cases that occur are solvable and that the deterrent effects of well publicised convictions and exemplary sentences in even a small number of cases would be significant.
They identified strategies and workable tactics including the following:
.1 responsibility for the investigation: Everyone needs to know who is going to take charge of the investigation since confusion during the hours after the incident will result in missed investigative opportunities and loss or deterioration of evidence. The appointed investigation agency or body should have personnel trained in the relevant laws and in standard investigative techniques and be familiar with the legal requirements of the courts of their countries, bearing in mind that publicised prosecution, conviction and confiscation of assets of offenders are considered to be effective means of discouraging potential offenders. One agency or body should have responsibility for heading piracy investigations but that responsibility should embrace co-ordination of the efforts of other agencies which could assist in providing particular expertise or acting on intelligence;
.2 investigative response: The initial response is based on the need to establish quickly what happened. The hall investigative response should establish the full facts, include a scientific examination of the ship, record the details in a formal manner acceptable to the courts of the country or countries involved and be carried out by trained investigators;
.3 dissemination of intelligence: Whilst by definition pirates commit their offences at sea, they could be in some cases most vulnerable in terms of identification when they return to their bases on land to dispose of the proceeds. Associates, for example, may be prepared to give information against them. It is also important that in both intelligence and operational terms piracy is not viewed in isolation. It is probable that pirates may be involved in other offences, such as carrying of illegal immigrants and drug trafficking. Equally, anti-crime measures could be linked in order to minimize duplication of efforts;
.4 regional training and exchanges of views: Senior investigators within a region could come together to discuss specific tactics which they have found effective in piracy investigations. Regional training and discussions could relate to maritime policies, laws of the sea, jurisdiction, military and civil authorities co-operation and liaison, cross border and multi-agency operations and hostage negotiation; and
.5 exercises: Piracy exercises could test the abilities and skills of police or other investigators.
They proposed a test model for response to piracy as a mean by which authorities in a country, or an outside body acting on their behalf, could test ability and readiness to deal with situations likely to arise as a result of piracy. The model should help identifying areas of weakness and confusion and needs for training. As a prototype far from being exhaustive, the model could include communications management, immediate response prior to attack, immediate response during or immediately after an attack, organization of the investigative response, dissemination of intelligence, prosecution of offenders, proactive measures to combat piracy and crime prevention advice.
