Maximising the Opportunities to Detect Domestic Burglary with DNA and Fingerprints
| Author | John W. Bond |
| DOI | 10.1350/ijps.2007.9.3.287 |
| Published date | 01 September 2007 |
| Date | 01 September 2007 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Maximising the opportunities to detect
domestic burglary with DNA and
fingerprints
John W. Bond
Scientific Support Manager, Scientific Support Unit Northamptonshire Police Force
Headquarters, Wootton Hall, Northampton NN4 0JQ. Tel: 08453 700700 Ext. 2287; Fax:
01604 703210; email: john.bond@northants.pnn.police.uk
Received 16 May 2006; accepted 16 October 2006
Keywords: forensic science, DNA, fingerprints, burglary detection
John W. Bond
is Head of Forensic Science for
Northamptonshire Police. His research interests
centre on the use of forensic science to enhance
the detection of crime, principally through the
analysis of forensic data and the development of
new techniques for the enhancement of finger-
prints. He has research affiliations with a number
of UK universities and lectures on forensic
science at Sussex University.
A
BSTRACT
The impact on the detection and reduction of
domestic burglary by a prioritisation of forensic
resources and processing over a six-month study
period is examined. Targets were set and mon-
itored for the twin factors of increased attendance
at crime scenes and increased timeliness of pro-
cessing both DNA and fingerprint samples. The
results showed that it is possible to increase the
number of primary detections derived from DNA
and fingerprints with the DNA increase being
statistically significant. This increase was accom-
panied by a decrease in reported domestic burg-
laries. After its completion, the longer term effect
of the study on domestic burglary revealed a
return to pre-study levels for both DNA and
fingerprint detections although continuing reduc-
tions in DNA process times enable an increasing
number of crimes to be detected with DNA. The
results illustrate how a police force may run a
focused forensic initiative to provide a short-term
prioritisation on a ‘problem’ crime type such as
burglary or auto crime where DNA and finger-
prints can make a significant contribution to
crime detection.
INTRODUCTION
The importance of forensic intelligence
(fingerprint identifications and DNA hits)
as a standard forensic technique for the
investigation and detection of a wide spec-
trum of crime types from volume crime
(burglary and auto crime) to serious and
major crime such as rape and murder is now
well established. Reviews such as Under the
Microscope (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of
Constabulary, 2000) and Under the Micro-
scope, Refocused (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate
of Constabulary, 2002), emphasised the
importance of timeliness in both the deliv-
ery of forensic intelligence to Basic Com-
mand Units (BCUs) and the subsequent
investigation of the intelligence by police
officers. Morgan, Ponikiewski, and Dunstan
(2004) highlighted the opportunities for
improvement in the timeliness of finger-
print identification and investigation, whilst
Williams (2004) noted the need for time-
liness in the production and use of both
DNA hits and fingerprint identifications.
Prime and Hennelly (2003) considered the
impact on crime detection that speeding up
International Journal of Police Science & Management Volume 9 Number 3
International Journal of Police
Science and Management,
Vol. 9 No. 3, 2007, pp. 287–298.
© Vathek Publishing,
1461–3557
Page 287
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