Policing UK 2013 - Police Federation

THE ROLE OF POLICE
Forensics:
after the FSS
Dr Angela Gallop assesses
the impact of the closure of
the Forensic Science Service
Dr Angela Gallop is Chief Executive,
Axiom International Ltd
There was general outcry when
the intended closure of the
Forensic Science Service (FSS)
was first announced in December
2010. This would leave forensic science
almost entirely in the hands of private
companies. Who would be able to handle
the most complex cases Who would
pick up the pieces when they made the
inevitable mistakes And who would fund
research and development for the future
since private companies are apparently
only interested in profits
In reality, police forces have been
relying increasingly on private companies
for forensic science since 1991. This
followed a change from central funding
for the work, to direct case-by-case
charging, which enabled police to
choose for the first time from whom
they purchased their forensic services.
This inspired other organisations to offer
forensic services too, which led to the
beginnings of a forensic market.
Competition in this market
dramatically reduced both costs and
time taken for services to be delivered,
with private companies becoming ever
more innovative about how to streamline
processes and cut out waste.
The same innovative spirit also helped
solve many of the UK’s most high-profile
and complex investigations, including
the deaths of Damilola Taylor, achel
Nickell and Stephen Lawrence. Every
organisation makes mistakes, but so did
the FSS and sometimes it took private
companies to expose these – such as flaws
in the way the FSS analysed DNA traces.
This led to re-analysis of samples in a
large number of cases, some of which
were solved as a direct result.
The FSS was closed largely because
it never learned how to compete
effectively with more innovative and agile
competitors, relying too much on the
close, financially supportive relationship
historically it had enjoyed with the Home
Office.
This is not to say that everything in
the garden is now rosy. It isn’t. There are
important lessons to be learned and big
issues that need addressing as a matter of
urgency if we are to retain and build on
“Police forces have been relying
increasingly on private companies
for forensic science since 1991.”
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