Forensics/crime scene investigation

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: What should your force expect from a digital evidence management system? Learn how evolving digital evidence management can tame the tidal wave of data and future-proof your organisation.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: NEW DATE FOR WEBINAR: Currently a high number of business crimes go unreported due to the protracted nature of reporting and sharing securely the related (often CCTV) evidence. The NICE Investigate solution addresses this issue by allowing businesses to, voluntarily, pre-register their cameras, via the ‘Business Portal’, to their local police force – to find out how, join our webinar on the new date of Tuesday, 4th October at 14:00 BST / 9:00am EDT

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Currently a high number of business crimes go unreported due to the protracted nature of reporting and sharing securely the related (often CCTV) evidence. The NICE Investigate solution addresses this issue by allowing businesses to, voluntarily, pre-register their cameras, via the ‘Business Portal’, to their local police force – to find out how, join our webinar Tuesday, 20th September at 14:00 BST / 9:00am EDT

ANALYSIS: When human remains were found in two suitcases bought in a storage auction in New Zealand it made headline news around the world, but dead bodies are discovered in bags and suitcases with surprising regularity; Dr Paola Magni, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science at Murdoch University, explains the key role insects can play in determining the details of such deaths, and outlines a ground-breaking experiment underway in Western Australia which will help to solve such crimes.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Today, digital transformation is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in policing and this includes transforming how police forces collect, analyze and share evidence. One digital evidence management trailblazer is North Wales Police. Using NICE Investigate, North Wales Police was able to digitally transform work processes around evidence collection and sharing, to help minimize risk of contact during the recent pandemic, while still continuing to provide the utmost service to the community and justice partners.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Like many forces across the UK Cleveland Police struggled to manage rapidly increasing digital evidence. The collection of CCTV video alone required thousands of trips each week - a huge time and resource drain. The force also needed to comply with national requirements around sharing digital evidence, which was moving toward a digital model. With NICE Investigate, officers can now collect and share evidence through a fully electronic process.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: As a national force covering a broad swathe of rail lines and properties, the British Transport Police (BTP) faces unique policing challenges. That’s precisely why NICE Investigate is at the heart of everything BTP is doing to manage its digital evidence ecosystem moving forward. In the first of a series of case-studies highlighting NICE's work with UK police forces, read about how NICE is helping BTP streamline the flow of digital evidence and keep UK railways safe from crime, through digital transformation.

INTERVIEW: The extensive and in some cases excessive searches of victims’ mobile phones and medical records in rape and serious sexual assault cases have reportedly prompted many victims to withdraw from the prosecution process; Policing Insight’s Christine Townsend spoke to UK Information Commissioner John Edwards about his report published today, which sets out new parameters and guidelines on the gathering and use of digital evidence from victims.

FEATURE: A new €7m European Commission research and innovation initiative has been launched to improve crime scene investigations relating to the transfer, persistence and background abundance of trace evidence, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

INTERVIEW: New Zealand Police Senior Sergeant Steve Harwood has led disaster victim identification (DVI) teams in the wake of some of the world’s largest mass casualty events; and while officers and staff are driven by the desire to reunite grieving relatives with the remains of their loved ones, the mental and physical wellbeing of those teams must also be a priority, as he explained to Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: Forensic science is often overlooked as a niche part of policing, but after six months as the new National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Forensic Lead, Chief Constable Nick Dean argues that forensics is vital for enabling crime investigation and prevention, and sets out a raft of changes which could help policing restore public trust.

FEATURE: Examples of forensic entomology – the use of insects in criminal investigations – can be traced back to the 13th century, and today flies and other insects can help to identify everything from a murder victim’s use of ketamine or cocaine, to the chemicals used in pet poisonings; Forensic Biologist Paola Magni of Murdoch University in Western Australia explains the forensic insights we can already gain from flies, and what more we could learn.

INNOVATION: A new DNA technique being pioneered by the Australian Federal Police uses Massively Parallel Sequencing to predict gender, age, eye colour, hair colour and bio-geographical ancestry – with new markers being identified for traits such as facial metrics or physical stature – in a breakthrough that could help investigators identify human remains as well as potential suspects, as Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons reports.

FEATURE: While some criminal activity has fallen during the pandemic, serious crimes have continued, which means so has the work of crime scene investigators; Paola Magni, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science at Murdoch University, looks at the challenges of protecting CSI teams from COVID-19, and discusses some of her recent research on the steps agencies can take to keep staff safe.

FEATURE: Against a background of major inequality based on geography, gender, ethnicity, disability and faith, Pakistan remains a country with significant ties to the UK, and a diaspora of 1.7 million Pakistani residents across the country look to the UK Government for leadership in developing systems for a future when Pakistan no longer needs British support: Policing Insight contributor Gareth Bryon takes a look at some of the work that has taken place in support of criminal justice by the UK in recent years.

FEATURE: The volume and accessibility of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has increased considerably in recent years, prompting concerns from police, legislators and the public; ahead of next week’s Australia and New Zealand Society of Evidence-Based Policing Conference, Dr Rick Brown, Deputy Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, outlines some of the key research and initiatives already underway to reduce CSAM in the future.

ANALYSIS: The transition of forensic science provision in England and Wales from the public to private sector has led to fears over the ability of commercial markets to influence forensic analysis and interpretation; in the second of two articles, Dr Karen Richmond of the University of Copenhagen highlights further concerns around the separation of tasks and the use of Streamlined Forensic Reports, as well as a potential path to progress for the forensic sector through the growth of digital.

ANALYSIS: The transition of forensic science provision in England and Wales from the public to private sector has led to fears over the ability of commercial markets to influence – and even distort – forensic analysis and interpretation, according to a new study; in the first of two articles, Dr Karen Richmond of the University of Copenhagen explains the background to the research, and highlights some of the key concerns of scientists including the loss of contextual information, case fragmentation, and the diminishing role of forensic practitioners.

FEATURE: The NPCC Digital Forensic Science Strategy, developed by the Transforming Forensics (TF) Programme and the Forensic Capability Network, is a blueprint for change to address pressing problems and put forward transformational but realistic solutions; TF Programme Director Richard Meffen explains the aims and issues addressed, as well as some of the key project work being undertaken – such as Legacy Data guidance and CSE Automate – to enable that transformation.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Many police agencies face the same or similar challenges when it comes to digital forensics. Too much data, too many devices and resource constraints. Harsh Behl highlights how the tools from AccessData®, an Exterro Company can bridge the gap between front-line officers and forensic technicians so that investigations, analysis and review can start sooner.

OPINION: The world of forensic science in the UK is changing, in the form of a new national network with police forces as members; Jo Ashworth, CEO of the Forensic Capability Network, explains that forces must get actively involved to help shape the future of forensics.

INSIGHT: In an increasingly digital world, the role of forensic linguistics will be crucial to law enforcement as an aid to correctly identifying text authors and voices, so investment in research and awareness raising among police officers and the judiciary, are vital to its success. Georgina Heydon outlines how this powerful, yet little known, tool can be integrated into investigations.

FEATURE: The UK Biometrics Commissioner has highlighted variations between forces in the retention of DNA, software inadequacies in the fight against terrorism, and missed opportunities for the international exchange of samples that may have put the public at greater risk of crime, reports Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons.

OPINION: Steve Ainsworth, Director of Operational Safety at Northgate Public Services, argues that taking a less linear approach to the chain of custody could help forces use forensic evidence in a more proactive way.