CFS Bulletin: Issue 10 July 2015
In this issue:
• Fingerprinting - the
UK landscape
• Research seminar
series: Dr Gill Tully
• Locard-White prizegiving event
• Outreach &
Engagement: visit to
Burgess Hill School
for Girls
• Aquatic Forensics
• Research news
• Upcoming conferences
• Upcoming public
engagement events
• Website survey
@UCLForensicSci
Message from the Director:
Forensic science has been in the news again and many of the
issues that are being identified are significant and important.
One of the underlying themes includes how we interpret and
evaluate forensic evidence transparently, consistently and
appropriately. This is the foundation of our research at the
CFS. We are committed to undertaking empirical research
that can provide the evidence bases necessary to enable
effective interpretation of evidence and intelligence. We
are working hard to ensure that this need is recognised in
every sphere of the forensic sciences, and are always looking for opportunities to
collaborate with others to engage in pioneering, valuable research that addresses
this aim. The Bulletin this quarter highlights a number of ways in which we
have been seeking to engage with a variety of stakeholders, from the fingerprint
report and our seminar series to activities in schools. We are looking forward to
presenting our research at a number of conferences this summer and discussing
the implications and impact of the research findings to fuel new and innovative
projects. We hope to see many of you in the next few months. With every best
wish for an excellent summer.
Dr Ruth Morgan
Fingerprinting – the UK
landscape: Processes,
Stakeholders, and
Interactions
Helen Earwaker, one of our PhD
students, has co-authored a key
report on the state of fingerprint
analysis in the UK, which was
published in April.
Initially the intended output of
this Forensic Science Knowledge
Transfer Network project was
a diagrammatic representation
of fingerprinting within the
UK, illustrating the interactions
between key stakeholders within
this process.The production
of this diagram (which can be
viewed within the report itself)
involved a significant amount
of research and a number of
discussions with key stakeholders
within the fingerprinting
community. This generated
additional information and
ideas that could not readily be
incorporated within the diagram.
As such it was decided that this
information should form a report
setting out the landscape of the
UK fingerprinting domain as a
point of reference for external
innovators.
The report was co-written
with Dr Steve Bleay (Home
Office CAST) and Dr Dave
Charlton (Surrey and Sussex
Police). It is based upon the
Fingerprinting Process Diagram,
examining in more detail key
fingerprinting stakeholders within
policing, training, research and
development, and regulation and
accreditation. The report lists key
stakeholders under each category,
providing information on their
remit and interactions with other
stakeholders. In addition, the
report features a number of case
studies and recommendations.
Case studies include:
• ‘Sharing academic and
fingerprint laboratory resources:
Portsmouth University and
Hampshire Police’
• ‘Taking Fingerprint Research and
Development to Market’
• ‘The Dutch National Police
Services Agency: A Novel Approach
to Fingerprint Comparison
Workflow’
• ‘The British Transport Police
Model of Creativity and
Innovation: Enabling Innovation
from the Ground Up’
Recommendations made
within the report include
bridging the gap in information
sharing between practitioners
and academia, improving
communication and interaction
between fingerprint laboratories
and bureaux, and encouraging
ground level innovation.
The report and process diagram
can be accessed via the Forensic
Science Special Interest Group
website.
Helen Earwaker
CFS Research seminar
series
On 4th of
March we
welcomed Dr.
Gill Tully, the
current Home
Office Forensic
Science
Regulator
(FSR), to speak at our weekly
seminar. Gill took up the position
in 2014, having previously worked
for organisations including the
Forensic Science Service and
Principal Forensic Services.
Some of the aspects of forensic
science that can be overlooked
when studying or researching
a specific forensic discipline
are the quality controls and
regulations. However, in forensic
practice, the FSR ensures that
the various forensic services
within the criminal justice system
are subject to an appropriate
regime of scientific quality
standards, including the FSR
codes of practice and conduct,
Guidelines for Forensic Science
Laboratories (ILAC G-19) and
the Accreditation for Crime Scene
Investigation (ISO/IEC 17020).
The reason why such standards
are important is simple: quality
failures happen. What is
important to note when further
investigating those failures is that
the underlying cause is often not
a lack of information, but rather
the decision making process that
was involved. To highlight this
important issue, some notorious
examples were given that show
the problem with transferring
methods without them being
validated for that purpose. For
example, in the Birmingham
Pub Bombing (1974) an analysis
test that was only validated as a
screening tool was later used as
probative evidence. In the case of
the Phantom of Heilbronn (1993
– 2009), cotton swabs intended
for medical purposes were used
in a forensic context. Because
these swabs were not certified
for human DNA collection,
DNA that was thought to be of
a phantom killer turned out to
be contaminated before they
even arrived at the various police
departments, highlighting the
wider impact at every stage of the
forensic process.
The talk went on to highlight
the importance of incorporating
feedback loops to feed the
errors and solutions back to the
various parties in the forensic
process. This is how, even in
accredited institutes, quality
errors are recognised and
acknowledged, so that the process
can continuously be improved.
Finally, Dr Tully went on to talk
about the academic contribution
to these issues, an aspect of great
interest to the CFS audience.
She outlined a number of areas
where research has a significant
and as yet under-utilised role
to play; for example, research
to determine the methods that
work most effectively in the
detection and recording of the
scene would help to improve
crime scene investigation.
Furthermore, research into
the laboratory procedures and
interpretation processes may
provide data and methodologies
which can subsequently support
the addressing of legal questions.
From a legal perspective, a better
understanding is needed of new
technologies and their validation,
and the justice system requires
more support in evaluating the
evidential significance. Lastly,
because the UK court system
uses juries, current research
needs to focus upon the public
understanding of forensic
evidence.
Gill Tully’s talk gave an extensive
and fascinating insight into the
controls and regulations that
impact the forensic process
as a whole, something that
deserves and definitely requires
more attention from the public,
academia and all parties within
the criminal justice system.
Nadine Smit
Outreach and
engagement: visit to
Burgess Hill School for
girls
Locard-White prize
The Locard-White prize is awarded
for the best MSc dissertation and
on 12th March, we held the annual
Locard-White lecture and prize
giving event.
The 2015 award was made to
Rachel McElhone (MSc Crime
and Forensic Science 2013-14).
Her lecture was entitled: “Bloodbased Footwear Marks: The effect
of blood proxy, flooring surface,
footwear sole and blood dryness on
the quality of resultant footwear
marks.”
Current students, lecturers
and CFS alumni all attended
and enjoyed refreshments and
networking afterwards.
On 4th of March, four PhD
researchers from the CFS
travelled to Burgess Hill School
for Girls to present at the school’s
annual information week - held
for Y7 and Y8 pupils. The theme
for this year’s week was crime.
In the weeks before the school
visit, some of the students had
produced a crime scenario which
included a victim’s autopsy report,
witness statements and a crime
scene report. Our researchers
used the students’ work to create
a crime scene which was set up in
the school’s library.
Each of the three sessions began
with a presentation introducing
forensic evidence and its use.
The aim of the presentation
was to provide the students
with a greater understanding
of the plethora of different
scientific disciplines applicable
to criminal investigations,
whilst demonstrating how
they complement one another
in providing independent
corroborative evidence. In
order to prepare the student s
for the ‘crime scene’, they were
introduced to key forensic
principles, evidence types and
methods of collection, and the
type of questions to ask when
examining the crime scene. The
power of different evidence types
was discussed to provide the
girls with an idea of the meaning
and value of such evidence when
interpreted in the context of a
real case, to ultimately answer
questions that might be of
relevance in court.
Dressed in crime scene suits, the
PhD researchers introduced the
girls to the different evidence
types at the crime scene. Each
of the students received their
own crime scene report which
encouraged them to identify and
critically assess the various items
in the room that could be valuable
in an investigation.
The different work-stations
within the crime scene enabled
the students to gain hands-on
experience with multiple forms
of evidence. The students were
encouraged to visualise and
collect latent finger marks, left
on a window, believed to be the
suspect’s escape route. They were
introduced to items upon which
the offender’s DNA could have
transferred and persisted, as well
as key factors that influence the
collection of wet (blood) stains
and other DNA containing items.
The students had to conduct
associative comparisons of hair
found at the crime scene and
that of the possible suspects, and
lastly, evaluate the most suitable
methods to transport and store
the various evidence types.
By combining the background
information, witness statements
and analysis of the collected
evidence there was no doubt
among the girls that the victim
was killed by her sister, with
a rope, in the library! It was a
hugely successful day which gave
the girls a brief overview of the
forensic sciences, enabled them
to get hands-on experience with
forensic methods and ask our
researchers any burning questions
they may have had. Not only
did the students benefit, but it
provided our PhD researchers
with the opportunity to engage in
outreach activities, to present and
discuss the forensic discipline to
a younger audience, and promote
science to the next generation
through demonstrating its
application in real life issues.
Nadine Smit and Beth Wilks
Aquatic Forensics Group
Researchers at the CFS
specialising in aquatic forensics
(addressing the role of all forms of
forensic evidence and intelligence
in aquatic environments) have
collaborated with researchers
from Staffordshire University and
the University of Huddersfield
to set up a working group*. The
inaugural meeting took place at
Staffordshire University on 4th
February, and the second meeting
was held at UCL on 19th May.
The group provides a forum
for discussion and offers the
opportunities for academics
and research students to discuss
current research projects and
develop new collaborative
projects. PhD students Kirstie
Scott (UCL), Samantha Lehan
(University of Staffordshire) and
Claire Oldfield (UCL) led the
discussions at UCL outlining their
current research and providing
opportunities to discuss initial
findings and the development of
new projects. The next meeting is
due to take place in October 2015
at the University of Huddersfield,
and a website has been created.
...and will be presenting at
conferences internationally
throughout the summer
months.
*Dr Ruth Morgan, Dr Nigel Cameron
and Dr Viv Jones (UCL), Dr Anna
Williams (University of Huddersfield,
Dr John Cassella (Staffordshire
University)
• Dr Georgina Meakin will
present her research on the
persistence of DNA trace
evidence at the 26th Congress
of the International Society for
Forensic Genetics in Krakow
in August/September.
• 13 of our researchers have had
abstracts accepted for the 7th
European Academy of Forensic
Science Conference to be held
in Prague in September. The
CFS will also have a stand at
the conference so please drop
by, we would love to speak to
you at stand 23.
Research news
Our researchers have been busy
presenting at conferences since
January...
• Saravanan Kanniappian
presented at the 4th Congress
of the International Society
of Forensic Radiology and
Imaging (ISFRI) at the
University of Leicester in
May, and at the 9th ISABS
Conference on Forensic and
Anthropologic Genetics
and Mayo Clinic Lectures
in Croatia in June. Sara’s
research focuses on the effects
of environmental factors in
temperate climates on the
post-mortem decomposition
rate.
• Kirstie Scott presented her
research on “The Use of
Optical Techniques for the
Analysis of Diatom Traces in
Forensic Investigation” at the
Inter/Micro 2015 conference
held at the McCrone Institute
in Chicago in June.
Upcoming conferences
The 9th International Crime
Science Conference will take place
at the British Library in July, and
as usual we will run a special
session on the interpretation
of forensic evidence. We are
delighted to have Professor David
Spiegelhalter and Dr Gill Tully
speaking and we look forward to
fruitful discussions in the Q&A
time. The programme is now
available on the website.
To book on to the ICSC please
visit the UCL online shop.
Upcoming public
engagement events
In August several of our PhD
students will be running
interactive events at Spark Festival
London, which will take place at
the Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park in Stratford (at the site of the
future UCL East campus). The
event will showcase the research
taking place in the Engineering
Faculty as a whole, and our
students will get visitors involved
in discussion and debate over
topics pertinent to the forensic
sciences and criminal justice.
Spark Festival London will be
a free event, taking place on
30th and 31st August (the bank
holiday weekend) and open to
local residents and anyone else
visiting the area.
Website survey
We are redesigning and
relaunching our website over the
summer and we would like your
input. Please visit our survey
below and add your thoughts and
ideas on what the CFS website
should be delivering for its users.
http://bit.ly/1KJOLoH
CFS Bulletin
Issue 10: July 2015
Editor: Kirstie Hampson
Contributors: Helen
Earwaker, Nadine Smit
and Beth Wilks