UPDATED WJEC Unit 3 – AC 1, 2, 3 ALL MODEL ACCURATE ANSWERS COMPLETE & GRADED A+

Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) or Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO’s) One type of personnel involved in criminal investigations is crime scene investigators (CSI) or scene of crime officers (SOCO’s). They are employed by police service to preserve and protect a crime scene while recovering evidence that is required to be kept uncontaminated to ensure it is reliable. Becoming a SOCO often requires a degree in forensic science or in a specific scientific subject and it is also expected of them to have had experience in police work intelligence gathering and analysis. On average, they work around 42 hours per week with a salary of £16,000 to £35,000 per year. One strength is that due to the high expertise and experience of crime officers, they can be trustworthy individuals and this also makes them effective because the risk of evidence contamination is low and their accuracy of evidence can secure a prosecution. Another strength is that there is very high availability due to how every police force in England and Wales employ them and they also work on an on-call system. This makes them effective as they are always available to assist in criminal investigations. One case example where SOCO’s have shown effectiveness is the Sally Bowman case where Bowman was murdered and there were no suspects however SOCO’s managed to collect DNA from the crime scene and then the offender was found. Also the cost of them makes them effective where they are only paid £16,000 to £35,000 which is affordable to police departments and the government more so than other personnel. This means we can employ more SOCO's which shows they are effective. One weakness is that the job of a SOCO may not be socially desirable due to the hours and having to be on call all the time. So even though there is high availability of them, this may be reduced in the future where people could potentially stop applying for the job. Also SOCO’s can be exposed to hazardous material and this could affect availability as people may not want to commit to a dangerous job. Another weakness is that there are many cases where protocols for collecting evidence have not been followed and therefore cases collapsed due to the lack of evidence. For example in the case of Amanda Knox they had failed to wear protective clothing and when wearing show coverings, they failed to take them out when they went outside and therefore evidence was unreliable. This shows how SOCO’s can be ineffective. SOCO’s have high expertise and have the ability to collect forensic samples in the right manner and they are also educated as they will have degrees and which suggests they have the right knowledge which means they will be effective in their role. Forensic Scientists Another type of personnel involved in criminal investigations is forensic scientists who examine and analyse the evidence that is collected by SOCO’s and then provide information and data for trials and police. One strength of forensic scientists is that they have high expertise as it is necessary to have a degree in either forensic science or other science subjects. This means forensic scientists are very knowledgeable and this makes them effective. Another strength is that there are different areas in forensics so forensic scientists will have their department. For example toxicology departments or drug departments. This shows they are effective as they are specialised to that specific department and again shows huge expertise. Also forensic evidence is highly accurate and this therefore reduces risk of injustices and allows high rates of accurate prosecution which shows the effectiveness of a forensic scientist's role. A weakness of forensic scientists is the cost. As they are employed by private firms, police don’t have their own employees and therefore it can be expensive for police to hire and employ. Also in 2005, it was recorded that there were only 3000 forensic scientists which shows how there isn’t a large amount meaning low availability which can limit the effectiveness. Another weakness is that mistakes can always happen. For example in the case of Adam Scott, he was wrongly accused of rape due to a mistake made in the testing centre where his DNA was found in the swab taken from rape victim which was due to contaminated that was later discovered. Forensic scientists have vital jobs and are experts as they have qualifications which means they are effective in their role. Police Another type of personnel is police who are the first to arrive at a crime scene and sim to preserve life, secure the crime scene and conserve evidence. Police will also have a role of investigating and reducing crime. One strength of police is that it is necessary to have education and qualifications in order to become a police officer which shows they will be effective due to their high level of expertise. Another strength is that police officers are extremely important as they safeguard the public and attend to those needed. For example, they would call an emergency ambulance if someone was seriously injured. They also protect the public by detecting and preventing crime. One weakness of police is that the availability is not great. As there is only 211 police per 100,000 population which shows there is not enough police. Similarly, another weakness which is due to cost is that there are also budget cuts which impact the amount of police and this means there are more crimes left uninvestigated. Also there are cases where police have proven themselves to be influenced by bias and prejudice which suggests there is institutional racism. For example in the case of Steven Lawrence where they chose not to see that it was a hate crime. CPS The crown prosecution service is given the power to decide whether or not to prosecute an offender. This was previously done by police but changed since 1986. CPS are trained lawyers who look at the cases police send them and they decide whether it passes their tests. Such as whether there’s another evidence or if there is public interest to process with the case. One strength of CPS is that they are trained lawyers and have a fixed process to ensure the right and fair decision which means they have expertise. Another strength is that they are also independent and are not related to police therefore they are able to make their own decisions Also they are open 24/7 so are available to police all the time through CPS Direct which means police can contact them anytime for any support or advice. A weakness is that there is proven to be mistakes in every 1/15 cases which suggests that CPS are not always correct which suggests they are not so effective. Also a lot of the time they lack evidence which causes such a high number of cases to collapse. Another weakened is that the relationship they have with police is quite difficult which again affects the effectiveness and the whole process. Forensic Pathologist Forensic pathologists conduct the autopsies as well as determine the cause of death. One strength is that pathologists train as doctors before specialising in pathology which means they are experts. This means they are also highly educated which means their findings will be reliable. Another strength is that pathologists reveal key evidence for the cause of death which is very important information within the case meaning they are highlight effective. Also they are always available as they work 24/7 on call which is very useful as they are there when needed. However one weakness is that even though they work 24/7, they are very limited in numbers as there are only around 37 organisations in the UK and this suggests that availability is actually a weakness. They would also be working on several cases at once which could make them less effective. Another weakness is the cost as forensic pathologists are paid around £100,000 a year which is expensive. Also mistakes can happen and this has been proven by the anthony hardy case where a pathologist decided the first victim of a serial killer died of natural causes. Dr Patel, the pathologist, did not take the location, position of body or blood into account. The pathologist was then found guilty of incompetence. HM Revenue and Customs HMRC has a duty of investigating attacks against UK tax system. They have the power to apply for orders that require information to be produced, apply for as well as execute search warrants, make arrests, search suspects and premises following arrests and recover criminal assets through the Proceeds of crime act 2002.