This is a summary note of Ac1.2, Asses of investigative techniques in a proper criminal investigation. These notes helped me receive an A* overall; friends and family who borrowed these notes have received high grades. It is quickly allied with titles and detailed explanations that are easy to unde...
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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