Police duty to investigate a crime

[marmaduke4]

Can anyone please tell me whether the police have a statutory duty to investigate a crime. Many thanks in anticipation.

[Aged William]

No, they don't.

[des8]

Might not be a statutory duty but, depending on the crime, the police can be found liable for not investigating crimes under sections 7&8 of te Human Rights Act 1998
The decision in Commissioner of the Metropolis v (1) DSD (2) NBV [2018] UKSC 11 confirmed that the police can be liable in proceedings for a breach of article 3's prohibition on inhuman and degrading treatment (and possibly article 4's prohibition on slavery) where they fail to perform an adequate criminal investigation into alleged serious ill-treatment.