3.4 University News: New Forensic Science Facility

University News: New Forensic Science Facility

The recent opening of a new joint forensic science facility with the NSW Police Force and the University of Western Sydney will make it tougher for criminals to evade arrest and prosecution.

The Joint Facility for Forensic Science Research and Training is a unique million-dollar hub which can create crime scene scenarios in locations as a diverse as a residential home, illegal drug lab, motor vehicle and outdoor area.

The NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services, the Hon. Michael Gallacher MLC, the NSW Police Commissioner Mr Andrew Scipione APM and UWS Vice-Chancellor Professor Janice Reid AM officially opened the facility on Tuesday 19 July 2011.

Based at the UWS Hawkesbury campus, the building is the only purpose-built crime scene facility in Australia and its design draws inspiration from forensic facilities around the world. UWS students and scientists and NSW Police will use the facility for training and researching new forensic techniques.

Mr Glenn Porter, Head of the Forensic Science program at UWS, says its vital forensic science students experience realistic scenarios.

"In real life, a crime scene is extraordinarily complex and can be literally anywhere a crime has been committed. Students need to know what to look for and what to bag for further analysis. This new facility will help students become adept at assessing a crime scene and efficiently identifying the key pieces of evidence, says Mr Porter.

At the new facility crime scenes are staged by strategically planting key evidence in the scenario rooms. The students are given a brief and then evaluated on the way they navigate the crime scene and their effectiveness in locating the evidence which could range from a single strand of hair to a weapon hidden under a lounge cushion.

The scenario rooms are furnished as they would be in real life. There are bedrooms with beds, dressing tables, bedding and accessories, an office with a desk, computer, bookshelves and filing cabinets, a lounge room with a sofa, armchairs, television, coffee table - even magazines - and there's an open plan kitchen and dining room.

Above the rooms is a gantry, or elevated walkway, which looks down into the scenario rooms. The gantry is used by students watching demonstrations of how to work a crime scene and by instructors assessing students without interfering or influencing their activity.

There is also a purpose designed area for analyzing blood spatter, an outdoor area where evidence can be buried and a garage for examining crime scenes in and around vehicles.

The realism extends to students conducting their 'investigations' in full protective suits.

"Unlike the forensic experts on TV shows, real scenes of crime officers don't wear designer clothes to work. They wear hot and stuffy crime scene suits - full head-to-toe overalls - gloves, face masks and eye protection. It's uncomfortable, but without it the crime scene could be potentially contaminated and forensic evidence rejected by the courts."

Mr Porter says the Joint facility with the NSW Police Forensic Services Group also encourages close collaboration with operational forensic experts.

"The benefits of working with active forensic officers are tremendous. Students have the opportunity to interact with police and build real, professional relationships with the organisation. The joint facility also encourages greater collaboration on forensic science research with real world challenges facing the police informing our directions in research."

UWS is already a leading centre for forensic science research with current projects on detecting bloodstains underneath paint using reflected infrared photography, assessing the reliability of CCTV images as forensic evidence, analysing the health risks associated with clandestine drug laboratories, the detection of tattoos removed by laser and the recovery of finger marks from bullet casings.

UWS graduates of the Bachelor of Natural Science (Forensic Science) program can work as forensic specialists in a variety of areas including state and federal police, environmental protection agencies, border protection agencies and workplace health and safety authorities.

UWS students from diverse fields such as policing, law, nursing, business and health are also using the new forensic science facility to get a fundamental understanding of crime scene management which may be useful in their professional careers.

The Joint Facility for Forensic Science Research and Training is a collaboration of the UWS School of Natural Sciences and the Forensic Services Group within the NSW Police Force.

The new joint facility builds on established strong links between UWS and the NSW Police Force. UWS offers the undergraduate Bachelor of Policing program and the NSW Police Force has located its Police Leadership Centre on the Hawkesbury campus.

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