Summary Criminology Unit 3 - AC1.2 Asses the usefulness of investigative techniques in criminal investigation
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Course
Crime Scene to Courtroom
Institution
WJEC
Book
Criminology Book Two
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Criminology Unit 3 - AC2.4 Asses the key influence affecting the outcomes of the criminal cases
Criminology Unit 3 - AC2.5 Discuss the use of lay people
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Crime Scene to Courtroom
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AC1.2
Asses the usefulness of investigative techniques in criminal investigations
Intelligence Databases:
Police National Computer
- PNC is used to help investigations and share information of both national and local security.
- Makes critical missions easier for the police, UK enforcement agencies and other criminal
justice agencies throughout the UK.
- PNC also provided real time data on people, vehicles, crimes and properties as well as alerts
such as: missing people, stolen objects or vehicles as well as vehicles requiring discreet
checks.
Strength:
- provides useful information when investigating crimes. Has links to European databases to
allow sharing of info internationally.
- Provides real time checks on vehicles, properties, and people as well as crimes.
Weakness:
- Database does not show photos. Basic information. Generally, not used as often anymore.
- Police often must guess whether a person is the suspect they are looking for based upon the
description of the suspect.
Police National Database
- Available to all UK police forces and selected law enforcement agencies.
- This allows different organisations to share the information they have on a specific suspect.
- Contains 3.5 billion records. 20 million records added every month. 222 databases. 4000
users.
- This database specializes in safeguarding children and vulnerable people, countering
terrorism and prevents organised crime.
Strength:
- Allows sharing of information between forces. Handles billions of records and images. Can
help prevent and identify different crimes. Includes allegations as well as number of
convictions.
- Separate Database to Police National Computer. Supposed to be replaced in 2020.
Weakness:
- Possible leaks are a problem
- In 2017 the names and addresses of 203 alleged gang members were accidentally leaked
- Fell into the hand of rival gangs and some of those named suffered serious violence
National DNA Database
- Created in 1995. Individual samples obtained and stored in a computer. Connects individuals
to crimes.
, AC1.2
- Can lead police to certain suspects. DNA records are kept for comparison. Technology
improvement.
Weakness:
- Human rights and privacy mean that suspects who are not convicted have their DNA
destroyed. There is a risk of data abuse.
- Many “innocent” or “suspected” individuals have their DNA stored
- Contamination of evidence is still possible.
Crimint and the Gang Matrix
- Holds information on criminals, suspects, and protestors
- Gang matrix holds information on suspected gang members
Weakness:
- Has been criticised for being racially discriminatory
- In 2001 the metropolitan police had to remove over 1000 young black men from the
database
Usefulness in situations:
- Police station – very useful, police would have access to computer and the right software,
security firewalls in place
- Crime scene – not very useful, issues accessing the databases such as the PNC due to
internet access, potential security risks and need to preserve crim scene from potential
contamination
- Laboratory – moderately useful, the DNA can get added to the database from there, but
again no access for police at this place
- Street- not useful, issues accessing the databases such as the PNC due to internet access,
potential security risks
Usefulness in types of crime:
- Property crime – quite useful as fingerprints could be found at the scene and the database
can be used to search for possible suspects
- Violent crime – very useful, most likely possible DNA or fingerprints can be found and can be
searched to identify the suspect or even who the victim is
- E-crime – not useful not DNA would be found to search through the database
Case study: the case of ‘S’ and Marper v United Kingdom (2008)
- The first applicant, Mr S was arrested in 2001 aged 11 for attempted robbery
- his fingerprint and DNA sample were taken
- he was subsequently acquitted
- 2001 Mr Marper was arrested and charged with harassment of his partner
- His fingerprints and DNA samples were taken
- Before pre-trail a review took place
- He and his partner had become reconciled, and she refused to press changes
- Both applicants asked for their DNA and fingerprints to be destroyed
, AC1.2
- In both cases the police refused – supported by the courts
- Applicants put in application to the European Court of Human rights
- In a unanimous judgement the court found that the retention of the applicants fingerprints,
cellular samples and DNA profiles
- Was a violation of article 8 of the European Convention on human rights
- The right to respect for private and family life
- It was upheld because they hadn’t committed the crime
Case study: Melanie Road (1984)
- June 1984, 17 year old Melanie Roads was raped and murdered
- Christopher Hampton caught 32 years later through familial DNA match using the NDNAD
- His nieces DNA was put on the database
Case study: Sally Ann Bowman
- Murdered and raped September 2005 aged 18
- The murderer Mark Dixie was caught for the crime
- He had been arrested previously for robbery and sexual offences, but his DNA was not taken
as it wasn’t a legal acquirement
- After nine months Dixie was arrested during a bar fight where his DNA was finally taken and
but on the intelligence database
- Where it matched to the DNA found on Bowmans body
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