Benchmarking forensic volume crime performance in Australia between 2011 and 2015

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Criminology
• Law Enforcement

Background:

• The Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency National Institute of Forensic Science Australia New Zealand (ANZPAA NIFS) conducted the End to End Forensic Identification Process Project (E2E) in 2011.
• The initial project (E2E1) identified bottlenecks in the forensic process for DNA and fingerprint analysis in burglary cases across Australia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the forensic identification process in 2015 (E2E2) across eight Australian jurisdictions.
• To measure improvements and assess the impact of recommendations implemented since the 2011 study.
• To compare forensic performance data between 2011 and 2015.

Main Methods:

• Data collection on over 7,500 burglaries nationally.
• Benchmarking of forensic processes and performance for DNA and fingerprint evidence.
• Comparative analysis of data from 2011 (E2E1) and 2015 (E2E2).

Main Results:

• The paper presents findings from the 2015 study and comparative analyses between 2011 and 2015.
• Identifies likely contributors to performance improvements, including legal, technological, and organizational measures.

Conclusions:

• The study provides insights into the effectiveness of implemented recommendations.
• Highlights advancements in forensic identification processes within Australian law enforcement.