AC1.1
One personnel involved in criminal investigations is scene of crime officers (SOCOs) and their role
included collecting, protecting and preserving evidence from the crime scenes. They search for
evidence traces such as gun residue or shoe prints, taking photos of them. One strength of SOCOs is
their high availability seeing as they work 30/40 hours a week, being available during the day, the
night and even the weekends. This implies that there will always be someone available to
immediately assist the crime scene which is crucial when it comes to preserving evidence. Their
salary is also cost effective (16 thousand to 37 thousand) meaning less tax paying is inflicted upon
the public, not to mention that the workers are trained efficiently due to them experiencing a
combination of academic study as well as practical training. This is particularly good as it increases
their professionalism and therefore reduces the possibility of evidence being mishandled or
contaminated during their presence at the crime scene. However, one limitation is the health
hazards coming from being surrounded by dangerous substances as well as traumatic scenes on a
daily basis. This means that they are not only vulnerable to any infestations, but are also at high risk
for developing any mental health disabilities from the constant exposure to distressing scenes. To
add to that, the workload may in fact affect availability as they are expected to respond to multiple
crimes scenes simultaneously. Depending on the region, this is not always possible and the time lags
increase the possibility of any significant evidence not being properly preserved.An example where
SOCOs were working efficiently is in the Joanna Yeates case study where they refused to put a tent
over the deceased body. This decision was crucially important as it stopped the temperature change
from tempering with the evidence. The fact that the DNA found on her body helped identify the
suspect reinforces the effectiveness of SOCOs, especially in speeding up the investigation.
Another personnel involved in criminal investigations are forensic scientists and they specify in
analysing and examining the physical evidence from the crime scenes whilst producing a report for
the court. This instantly has the strength of assisting the court to reach an accurate conviction which
makes the decision more just as it is backed by scientific evidence. Another advantage includes the
strong expertise within the field: forensic scientists are required to either have a university or an
apprenticeship degree in forensic science, along with the background checks being run before they
start their vacancy. This makes their role a lot more efficient as the high level of professionalism
means there is a decrease in injustice occurrences where wrong conclusions lead to the wrong
charges being pursued. Availability for forensic scientists is low: there is only roughly 3,400 available
across the Uk. This is a major drawback as it will slow down the investigation. On top of that, the low
availability combined with the heavy workload can lead to human errors which are impractical for
investigations as it can sway it in the wrong direction. The laboratory equipment will be expensive to
purchase and maintain making this a relatively pricey criminal investigation field. A case where
forensic scientists were proven to not be effective is in the Adam Scott case where they made the
error of contaminating a saliva sample with swabs from a rape victim which then led to Adam Scott
being wrongly convicted and held for 5 months. Mistakes made by the forensics meant an innocent
person was charged highlighting the importance of keeping up with standardised procedures.
A third personnel involved in criminal investigations are police officers and they are responsible for
firstly, the preservation of life and secondly, the arrest of any suspects if they are spotted at the
crime scene. Their third priority involves securing the crime scene and this is usually done during the
first hour (“golden hour”) as this time slot provides the greatest opportunity to preserve the most
crucial evidence. A major advantage of police officers is their high availability: in September 2022,
there were roughly 142k police officers across England and Wales. This implements their 24/7
service as there is always someone available when needed meaning they can assist the crime scenes
instantly, helping improve the accuracy of the details gathered for the investigation. In addition to
this, they are competent workers seeing as they require a minimum of a level 3 qualification along
One personnel involved in criminal investigations is scene of crime officers (SOCOs) and their role
included collecting, protecting and preserving evidence from the crime scenes. They search for
evidence traces such as gun residue or shoe prints, taking photos of them. One strength of SOCOs is
their high availability seeing as they work 30/40 hours a week, being available during the day, the
night and even the weekends. This implies that there will always be someone available to
immediately assist the crime scene which is crucial when it comes to preserving evidence. Their
salary is also cost effective (16 thousand to 37 thousand) meaning less tax paying is inflicted upon
the public, not to mention that the workers are trained efficiently due to them experiencing a
combination of academic study as well as practical training. This is particularly good as it increases
their professionalism and therefore reduces the possibility of evidence being mishandled or
contaminated during their presence at the crime scene. However, one limitation is the health
hazards coming from being surrounded by dangerous substances as well as traumatic scenes on a
daily basis. This means that they are not only vulnerable to any infestations, but are also at high risk
for developing any mental health disabilities from the constant exposure to distressing scenes. To
add to that, the workload may in fact affect availability as they are expected to respond to multiple
crimes scenes simultaneously. Depending on the region, this is not always possible and the time lags
increase the possibility of any significant evidence not being properly preserved.An example where
SOCOs were working efficiently is in the Joanna Yeates case study where they refused to put a tent
over the deceased body. This decision was crucially important as it stopped the temperature change
from tempering with the evidence. The fact that the DNA found on her body helped identify the
suspect reinforces the effectiveness of SOCOs, especially in speeding up the investigation.
Another personnel involved in criminal investigations are forensic scientists and they specify in
analysing and examining the physical evidence from the crime scenes whilst producing a report for
the court. This instantly has the strength of assisting the court to reach an accurate conviction which
makes the decision more just as it is backed by scientific evidence. Another advantage includes the
strong expertise within the field: forensic scientists are required to either have a university or an
apprenticeship degree in forensic science, along with the background checks being run before they
start their vacancy. This makes their role a lot more efficient as the high level of professionalism
means there is a decrease in injustice occurrences where wrong conclusions lead to the wrong
charges being pursued. Availability for forensic scientists is low: there is only roughly 3,400 available
across the Uk. This is a major drawback as it will slow down the investigation. On top of that, the low
availability combined with the heavy workload can lead to human errors which are impractical for
investigations as it can sway it in the wrong direction. The laboratory equipment will be expensive to
purchase and maintain making this a relatively pricey criminal investigation field. A case where
forensic scientists were proven to not be effective is in the Adam Scott case where they made the
error of contaminating a saliva sample with swabs from a rape victim which then led to Adam Scott
being wrongly convicted and held for 5 months. Mistakes made by the forensics meant an innocent
person was charged highlighting the importance of keeping up with standardised procedures.
A third personnel involved in criminal investigations are police officers and they are responsible for
firstly, the preservation of life and secondly, the arrest of any suspects if they are spotted at the
crime scene. Their third priority involves securing the crime scene and this is usually done during the
first hour (“golden hour”) as this time slot provides the greatest opportunity to preserve the most
crucial evidence. A major advantage of police officers is their high availability: in September 2022,
there were roughly 142k police officers across England and Wales. This implements their 24/7
service as there is always someone available when needed meaning they can assist the crime scenes
instantly, helping improve the accuracy of the details gathered for the investigation. In addition to
this, they are competent workers seeing as they require a minimum of a level 3 qualification along
