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Note - 1.2 Asses th usefulnes of investigativ technique i
crimina investigation
Use of intelligence databases
The term ‘intelligence’ refers here to information that has been obtained
from many sources, often including confidential sources, and has been recorded
and evaluated. This information may be stored in a variety of di erent databases
that police o cers can access, such as the following:
The Police National Computer (PNC) contains several separate databases.
- It stores details of over 12 millions people’s arrests, convictions and police
cautions, with links to biometric databases for fingerprints and the
National DNA Database.
- Vehicle registration data and information on 48 million people who
hold a driving license, and on those who are disqualified.
- The PNC also holds information on missing and wanted persons.
The term ‘intelligence’ refers here to information that has been obtained
from many sources, often including confidential sources, and has been recorded
and evaluated. This information may be stored in a variety of di erent databases
that police o cers can access, such as the following:
● The Police National Database
○ Contains intelligence about suspected criminal activity as well as the
data on the PNC. It holds over 3.5 billion searchable records and is
itself made up of 220 linked databases
● Crimint and the Gangs Matrix
○ Crimint holds information on criminals, suspects and protestors, and
the Gangs Matrix holds information on suspected gang members.
● International databases
○ UK police can also access databases that share information between
police forces in di erent countries. These include the INTERPOL
databases on child sexual exploitation, biometric records (DNA and
fingerprints), stolen property (e.g. art works), firearms and organised
crime networks.
Real life examples and statistics:
● As of 18 January 2021, Kit Malthouse said that there are 13 million person
records,58.5 million driver records, and 62.6 million vehicle records stored
on the PNC
, ● On the 15th January 2021, over 150,000 police records were deleted from the
police databases after a technical issue
● Information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, suggested that police were
taking too much personal information from victims and witnesses phone,
which may discourage them from reporting crimes
Forensic techniques:
‘Forensics’ refers to the scientific techniques and tests that are used to
assist in investigating crime. Forensic evidence can include biological materials
(e.g. blood, semen, skin flakes and hair), along with fingerprints, shoe prints,
weapons, fibres and threads from clothing, painting flakes and many other items.
It is essential that access to the crime scene is strictly controlled and that
investigators wear appropriate protective clothing to avoid contaminating
forensic evidence.
Once collected, the evidence can be examined by forensic specialists such
as those we looked at in the previous topic and the results shared with police to
assist their investigation. DNA analysis is the area in which forensics has made
greatest progress. DNA is found in almost every cell of the body, and each
person’s DNA profile is unique (except for identical twins).
In recent years, highly sensitive techniques have been developed for the
extraction and rapid analysis of minute quantities of DNA samples. This has
made DNA profiling the most important development in solving serious crime
since fingerprinting was invented. While each individual’s DNA profile is unique,
blood relatives have similar profiles to one another and samples from family
members have been used to aid the identification of perpetrators.
This proved decisive in the case of Colette Aram, who was raped and murdered in
1983 by Paul Hutchinson – before DNA profiling existed. However, by 2008 police
were able to develop a profile of her killer due to advances in DNA technology.
Hutchinson’s son had been arrested for a motoring o ence and a routine DNA
A sample was taken which partially matched DNA taken from the crime scene. His
father was arrested and convicted of the murder. Because blood relatives share
similar DNA profiles, the method has also been used to identify deceased victims
of homicides, suicides and accidents.
Contamination of DNA evidence:
- Contamination can lead to miscarriage of justice, as the case of Adam
Scott shows.
- Scott was wrongly charged with rape in 2011 and spent five months in prison
on remand on the basis of a contaminated DNA sample. The danger of
contamination is if anything greater now, since the minutest quantities of
DNA cannot be analysed.
- In order to obtain a match with DNA from a crime scene, the o ender (or a
close relative) must already be on the National DNA Database.
, - However, advances in forensic technology mean it may soon be
possible to identify the colour of a perpetrators hair, eyes and skin,
and their approximate age, from a DNA profile.
Problems with DNA evidence:
Civil liberties
- There have been civil liberties concerns about the police retaining DNA
data taken from people who have not been convicted of a crime (e.g. those
arrested but released without charge). This led to a change in the law in
2012 requiring most profiles taken from people not convicted to be
eventually destroyed.
Cost
- until recently, DNA tests were quite expensive. However, the cost of
analysing a DNA sample is now around 20.
Real life examples and statistics:
● FBI
○ In 2015, the FBI admitted on relying on faulty hair analysis in trials
○ Among those convicted, 32 defendants were sentenced to death
○ 14 of those died in prison or were executed
● David Camm
○ In 2000, David Camm was convicted of the murder of his wife and
children
○ A state forensic analyst claimed that Camm’s t-shirt had been
stained with the wife’s blood in patterns suggesting he was the
perpetrator
○ The Indiana court of appeals overturned the conviction when the
DNA of Charles Boney was matched to the sweater at the crime
scene
Surveillance Techniques:
Surveillance means watching over something or someone, for example
using CCTV to monitor who comes and goes in and out of a building. Police often
use CCTV footage in criminal investigations since it can give 24-hour coverage of
a location, providing a visual record of the crime and helping to identify the
perpetrator.
In major cases such as murder inquiries or the 2011 riots, CCTV images
can be released to the media with appeals for the public to report the
identity of anyone they recognise. However, because a camera is fixed, it cannot
follow a target round a corner. CCTV cameras are also fairly easy to spot and
criminals may avoid them or disguise themselves. Furthermore, the recorded
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