Forensic scientist/specialist
The role of forensic scientist is to examine and analyse the breakdown of evidence, for example, hair, body liquids. In the research
facility. Under the Human Tissue Act 2004, forensic needs consent to examine a body. As it is a fundamental right of the family if they consent
forensic to dissect the body to find evidence the role of Forensic specialists such as Ballistic firearms is similar as their role is to perform a
gunfire build-up examination. Photographing crime scenes. The Main advantages are that due to expertise, they are often accurate in
identifying the correct detail of the crime, and the offender. Which can help bring justice. Due to the difficulty in interpretation of data, and
blood evidence, forensic expertise allows this to be undertaken. Their availability means that no matter when the crime happens, they are on
hand, this means that evidence which is fresh can be preserved and is more useful to be used as it can lead to more clear identification. They
also work with the police to build up a case for conviction of suspects. This is done through evidence, such as blood DNA to link the suspect to
the crime. On the other hand, the disadvantages of forensic scientists/specialists include, bribery meaning evidence is prone to manipulation,
which may end up in an unrighteous verdict of either an innocent or guilty individual, leading to no justice. This was seen in the case of Central
Park 5 jogger case, in which 5 boys were arrested and manipulated to plead guilty as the forensics did not match, meaning their expertise is
not used in a god way. As forensic is funded by the government, due to budget cuts in England and Wales it has reduced independent
oversight, meaning it can lead to serious miscarriages of justice, because forensics might not have the right equipment or they have to reuse
the same equipment, which could cause contamination of crucial evidence. Stephen Lawrence forensic science worker made a series of
mistakes in handling evidence relating to one of two men accused of murdering Stephen Lawrence, and the forensic science assistant, put the
wrong case number on a jacket belonging to Gary Dobson. Another case involved Adam Scott, in which a women from Manchester was raped,
by a man, however due to the saliva of Adam and a DNA sample from the women, were taken and then forensics sent both at the same time
they became contaminated, resulting in Adam Scott's arrest. Police spending on forensics in England and Wales has fallen by more than half
over the past decade from £120m in 2008 to an estimated £50m-£55m. this does mean that there is simply not enough money to even start a
forensic investigation in private sector, and so the police need to allow forensic to use their labs, which do not have the equipment needed to
be very accurate with evidence. As forensic scientists/specialists are available all the time, this means that if they work long shifts, they might
be tired, and if they work with evidence while being tired, they might accidentally contaminate the evidence or even destroy it. Interpretation
and expertise of the analysis differs from one forensic scientist to another, leading to contradiction to happen. E.g. George Floyd case in which
the state forensic specialist, said George died of health condition and intoxication, and the private family forensic specialist said George died of
asphyxia.
SOCO’s/CSI
The role of SOCO’s is to work closely with the police (including the Counter Terrorist Unit and the British Transport Police), forensic scientists
and other organisations such as the National Crime Agency, take a lead in finding evidence that may support a later criminal case as well as
photograph and video the incident and area around it. They are important in criminal investigation because of their expertise, they can find
and identify clues that will help police and the court bring justice to victims and their families. Under Police Reform Act 2002 it allows SOCO’s
to take blood samples from drivers who are unconscious after a car crash. They are also important as they preserve crime scene and recover
evidence and operate on-call system, meaning they are available when called to the scene. This is effective as they will be able to pick up and
spot fresh evidence such as blood drops on the floor or on clothing, they will be able to preserve it so that it does not get contaminated.
However, the disadvantage of SOCO’s is that if they contaminate crucial evidence it becomes inadmissible in court, this happened
with Stephen Lawrence, where a SOCO Picked up evidence without gloves, and taping from suspect's jacket were mislabelled as belonging to
another crime. This means that this puts more pressure on the justice system as, they are not doing enough to deliver justice, it also wastes
time and a lot of money. Due to budget cuts by the government to the police, there is no training budget. No essential courses for staff
development. This can be seen in the case of Damilola Taylor, were there was missed blood on suspect's sweater, meaning not enough
training goes into these provisions. There is no funding or modernization/technology improvements, as SOCO’s have to buy own equipment
such as torches and cases. Training has suffered greatly as trainer roles removed from structure. Budget cuts in general also impact upon
provision and maintenance of specialist equipment vital in scientific services providing a quality service. Existing equipment not replaced as
frequently and due to no equipment and training, evidence can also become unreliable as seen in the case of Amanda Knox, the murder of
Meredith Kutcher, in which detectives wore shoe covers outside house while SOCO’s failed to have any protective clothing on inside house,
meaning the evidence became unreliable in court. however recent the new Tory government have boosted funding 10% increase, which could
help provide new equipment for SOCO so that evidence does not get contaminated and is not admissible in court.
POLICE OFFICER
The role of Police officers is to conduct initial investigations, gather evidence, take statements, and comply with relevant legal requirements
such as seen in the case of Rhys Jones, were witnesses told that there saw groups of boys on bikes. This is vital in criminal
investigations as, police are able to gather the evidence needed through their ‘golden hour’ in order to build up a case. Police also interview
suspects, victims, and witnesses in accordance with relevant legislation such as Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), which outlines
how an officer must conduct his/her research. They also have many specialist units such as Counter Terrorism which is a government-led,
multi-agency Prevent programmed aims to stop individuals becoming terrorists and police play a key role. Some strengths of police officers
are availability and there ‘Golden hour’ which helps them gather as much evidence as possible to know what has happened. Another strength
is the vicarious liability, which allows the police branch to be responsible for their employee's actions, as seen in the recent George Floyd case.
The full police department was blamed for racism. Expertise is also a strength as police have different specialism e.g. Detectives, such as Dave
Kelly which he was able to analyze evidence further, as seen in Rhys Jones case, of the gun used compared to the wound inflicted on Rhys. This
is important in criminal investigations, as the police expertise helps collect vital evidence and preserve it, so it does not get contaminated by
others. Also, Geographical profiling, is a form of availably and expertise, which can help hunt down offenders on a run, as seen in the case
of Clive Barwell, a rapist on a run for 16 years. Kim Rossmo, a detective From Vancouver Police Department (VPD), was contacted by a UK
police task force called Operation Lynx. The task force involved police officers from three counties -- Leicestershire, West Yorkshire, and
Nottinghamshire. Which with their availability and expertise helped hunt Clive down and prosecute him. This is also important in criminal
investigations, as police forces from other country are not allowed to step on other department jurisdiction and area, and so in criminal
investigation, it helps hunt down offenders faster without breaking different laws within different countries. However, the weaknesses of
