AC1.2 Writeup
Forensics:
Forensic techniques are techniques based around the actual biology of an offender and
trying to match samples to find a culprit; two of the main techniques are DNA testing and
fingerprints. DNA testing is when small amounts of DNA at a crime scene can be extracted
and analysed in order to find an exact match as everyone’s DNA is unique. Another
technique is fingerprinting, when a crime scene is investigated by CSI: there will usually be
some form of fingerprint left at a scene which can be transported to a lab so forensic
specialists can analyse it. Fingerprints are unique and specific to every single person and so
finding this type of clue can prove crucial in an investigation. One advantage of fingerprints
is that it can be used to solve a case which may have happened a few years ago. Fingerprints
are special and unique, as well as this, they rarely change overtime and can be identifiable
to an individual even if they have grown since they committed an offence, this is an
advantage as it allows cold cases which may not have had access to these types of
techniques to be reopened to see if an offender can finally be brought to justice. Another
advantage of fingerprinting is that it can be used to prove a suspect innocent and prevent
miscarriages of justice. Because of how unique fingerprints are to an individual, it allows for
more specific analysis of suspect when compared to something like blood sampling which is
grouped into very common types. This is an advantage as now we can narrow down
suspects much more specifically and innocent suspects will be easily recognisable. An
example of when fingerprints proved crucial to a case is Colin Pitchfork. Pitchfork raped and
murdered two 16-year-old girls 3 years apart from each other: the first occurring in 1983
and the second occurring in 1986. When the first incident occurred, fingerprinting wasn’t a
known technique and the only technique they could really use was blood samples which
proved useless since it was a fairly common blood type so nothing could link Pitchfork to the
murder. In 1986, Pitchfork raped and murdered his second victim but by this time
fingerprinting had been developed; a suspect by the name of Richard Buckland was proved
innocent thanks to fingerprinting and is what persuaded police to take blood samples from
over 4,500 men in the area. One of these men was Pitchfork and so he was found and
arrested a few months after trying to trick the police by using a fake identity. However, a
weakness of fingerprinting is that it can lead to misunderstandings and could actually result
in an innocent person being convicted. Fingerprints can’t exactly be distinguished between
innocent purposes and malicious ones unless blatantly obvious, a fingerprint on the
belonging of a victim could easily be mistaken for a role in the crime rather than an innocent
interaction before the offense occurred and so it’s easy for investigators to misinterpret why
fingerprints are in certain areas so the whole picture must be looked at. Fingerprinting can
be useful in any type of crime where there is physical contact with a person or object, i.e.,
murder, theft, assault, etc. This is because fingerprints will be easily left behind on surfaces
which can be obtained. However, fingerprinting may be difficult to conduct when crimes
have occurred outdoors since environmental factors could interfere or even completely
remove fingerprints before they can be searched for.
Forensics:
Forensic techniques are techniques based around the actual biology of an offender and
trying to match samples to find a culprit; two of the main techniques are DNA testing and
fingerprints. DNA testing is when small amounts of DNA at a crime scene can be extracted
and analysed in order to find an exact match as everyone’s DNA is unique. Another
technique is fingerprinting, when a crime scene is investigated by CSI: there will usually be
some form of fingerprint left at a scene which can be transported to a lab so forensic
specialists can analyse it. Fingerprints are unique and specific to every single person and so
finding this type of clue can prove crucial in an investigation. One advantage of fingerprints
is that it can be used to solve a case which may have happened a few years ago. Fingerprints
are special and unique, as well as this, they rarely change overtime and can be identifiable
to an individual even if they have grown since they committed an offence, this is an
advantage as it allows cold cases which may not have had access to these types of
techniques to be reopened to see if an offender can finally be brought to justice. Another
advantage of fingerprinting is that it can be used to prove a suspect innocent and prevent
miscarriages of justice. Because of how unique fingerprints are to an individual, it allows for
more specific analysis of suspect when compared to something like blood sampling which is
grouped into very common types. This is an advantage as now we can narrow down
suspects much more specifically and innocent suspects will be easily recognisable. An
example of when fingerprints proved crucial to a case is Colin Pitchfork. Pitchfork raped and
murdered two 16-year-old girls 3 years apart from each other: the first occurring in 1983
and the second occurring in 1986. When the first incident occurred, fingerprinting wasn’t a
known technique and the only technique they could really use was blood samples which
proved useless since it was a fairly common blood type so nothing could link Pitchfork to the
murder. In 1986, Pitchfork raped and murdered his second victim but by this time
fingerprinting had been developed; a suspect by the name of Richard Buckland was proved
innocent thanks to fingerprinting and is what persuaded police to take blood samples from
over 4,500 men in the area. One of these men was Pitchfork and so he was found and
arrested a few months after trying to trick the police by using a fake identity. However, a
weakness of fingerprinting is that it can lead to misunderstandings and could actually result
in an innocent person being convicted. Fingerprints can’t exactly be distinguished between
innocent purposes and malicious ones unless blatantly obvious, a fingerprint on the
belonging of a victim could easily be mistaken for a role in the crime rather than an innocent
interaction before the offense occurred and so it’s easy for investigators to misinterpret why
fingerprints are in certain areas so the whole picture must be looked at. Fingerprinting can
be useful in any type of crime where there is physical contact with a person or object, i.e.,
murder, theft, assault, etc. This is because fingerprints will be easily left behind on surfaces
which can be obtained. However, fingerprinting may be difficult to conduct when crimes
have occurred outdoors since environmental factors could interfere or even completely
remove fingerprints before they can be searched for.
