Most police forces in the UK employ specially trained crime scene examiners (CSEs) to provide forensic science support to the investigation of crime. Previous research has shown wide variations in the management, deployment, and performance of this staff group. There is also evidence that informal elements of professional and organisational culture, in particular the role characterisations of crime scene examiners, also have a bearing on their effective use in the investigation of high volume property crime. These issues are explored as part of a more extensive study of forensic science provision in the two largest police forces in Scotland and by the four main Scottish Police Services Authority Forensic Services (SPSA FS) units. A range of staff in these organisations described their understandings of the role of crime scene examiners -as evidence collectors, forensic investigators, specialist advisers, or any combination of these. Whilst two thirds (62%) of respondents recognised the complexity and scope of the role of CSEs including its cognitive elements, a substantial minority (38%) categorised the role as having a single element -collecting evidence -and therefore perceived it as limited largely mechanical in character. The reasons for, and consequences of, this perception are considered, and the paper concludes with a challenge to reconsider this limited view of what crime scene examiners can contribute to volume crime investigations.
The automatic exchange and comparison of DNA data between national databases to combat terrorism and crossborder crime in the EU area has been facilitated by the 2008 Prüm Decisions. While it was anticipated that all EU Member States would have fulfilled the requirements by August 2011, this has not yet occurred. Once each Member State has implemented the Prüm Decisions, which is expected to occur by spring or summer 2019, the EU Commission is planning on submitting a legislative proposal to amend the Prüm Decisions, possibly broadening its scope both in terms of types of data exchanged and the number of countries involved. Therefore, it is a timely place to review the available literature on the existing data on the cross-border exchange and comparison of DNA. However, due to the limited amount of available data regarding the Prüm regime's contribution to combating crime and terrorism, this article reviews national DNA databases' contribution to national criminal justice systems before it turns to the Prüm regime. Outlining how Prüm represents an "aspirational regime" focused on a secure and safe future, we draft recommendations directed towards rendering cross-border exchange of DNA data more transparent and accountable.
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