Forensic Science is science used in the administration of the law. It can detect crime, identify offenders, exonerate suspects and prevent crime.

In the United Kingdom forensic science work is split between employees of the police and forensic scientists who work for independent organisations. The police employ Scenes of Crime Officers (also known as Crime Scene Investigators) whose duties include the collection of potential evidential material at crime scenes and carrying out fingerprint work. Forensic science laboratories employ a wide range of specialist scientists some of whom present evidence at courts of law.

Blood spatter analysis is about how patterns made by blood deposits can provide information about what happened in a criminal offence. For example, the patterns can indicate the type of event that caused the blood to be shed, the position the blood came from and the distance of the bloodstain from the point of origin of the blood. The shapes and distribution of blood deposits are examined and principles of physics and mathematics used to make the interpretations.

Fingerprints remain fundamental to forensic science. Digitisation and computer searching have greatly improved the efficiency of their use. The location, visualisation and comparison of fingerprints is a particularly skilled operation that requires practice and experience. Traditional forensic disciplines of the examination of fibres, paint and glass remain important. There are two stages to their examination: first search and recovery; and then comparison where many different physical and chemical techniques are used. Longstanding methods of examination such as measurement of the refractive index of glass and the microscopy of fibres and paint are still employed. But many sophisticated instrumental methods of analysis are now used as well.

The introduction of computerised databases – for example for DNA, fingerprints, footwear impressions and firearms – has played an important part in changing the service that forensic science provides to the criminal justice system. They have allowed forensic scientists to identify potential suspects to the police to a much greater extent – rather than only determining whether or not there is any evidence in respect of suspects whom the police have identified by other means.

Forensic scientists require a range of personal attributes, the most important being scientific knowledge, practical skills, a painstaking approach, sound judgement and communication skills.

For more information on different aspects of forensic science follow the links below.

Fingerprints, Blood Spatter, Footwear Impressions, DNA, Interpretation, Communication.