thread
Operation Soteria was launched by the Home Office in June 2021 with the ambition to more than double the
number of adult rape cases reaching court by the end of this Parliament (May 2024), the report is here #forensicassets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl… /1
as expected it lays bare the problem from a #forensic science point of view. spolier alert, it's shocking. /2
A thread on #forensic toxicology, in particular the continuing problems with actually getting things tested in England and Wales /1
On the 12th October 2021 I made a FOI (Freedom of Information) request to all 43 Police Forces in England Wales following comments made by @HMICFRS in a document titled "Roads Policing: Not optional
An inspection of roads policing in England and Wales" justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/wp-con… /2
@HMICFRS So I asked the police several questions (below). I got a response TODAY from a police force 14 months after asking for it, and within it was a set of responses which just waves massive red flags /3
I've been asked why the govt announcements of new austerity measures is so bad for private #forensic science providers /1
it should be obvious but I'll try and spell it out, here's the percentage change in external spend on forensic science by police forces 2011-2020, it's sort of a measure of volumes submitted to forensic science providers, [sort of - data provided police forces rarely clear] /2
when cuts hit police forces, they do everything they can to protect their internal spend, they call it protecting the front line, but somehow we still have 43 forces, with 43 chief constables and 43 PCCs/mayors. They cut external spend to the bone, including £ to private FSPs /3
thread - Future state of #forensic science provision in england and wales, a tale of three reports /1
TLDR - after over a decade of disasterous forensic crises, police forces finally move from denial to acceptance on the change curve, waving the white flag, telling the government they're unable to manage forensic science nationally* and ask for help
*England and Wales - /2
House of Lords report publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ld… recommend a National Institute for Forensic Science and a Forensic Science Board both independent from policing /3
I've had some time to read this now and am able to share my views on it, not sure how long this thread will be, I will unroll it at the end. Firstly an introduction to this document - what is it? It's a review requested by @PoliceChiefs into @TFProgramme and @FCNnetwork /1
@PoliceChiefs@TFProgramme@FCNnetwork AFAIK you won't find this document on the internet atm last time I visited @PoliceChiefs website it wasn't in their publication list. I'm very grateful to @PoliceChiefs for providing it to me via FOI, which they did speedily and without any quibble whatsoever. /2
@PoliceChiefs@TFProgramme@FCNnetwork I came across its existence via a very simple FOI request to PCCs asking them had they joined @FCNnetwork , Norfolk and Suffolk mentioned it in their response /3
1/ Thanks to all who shared their views of @CharterForSci with me, I'm not a member so I really appreciate the frankness of the responses. I'm still going through them. Thread.
@CharterForSci 2/ I thought I'd share my views of the society as a non-member because with a new CEO imminent there is an opportunity for the soc to reappraise itself and its role. TLDR - it needs radical change to survive.
3/ I was a member of the society up to it becoming a professional body. I enjoyed the fun meetings, even presented at a couple and getting a copy of S&J. The professional route it took, wasn't for me.
starting to work my way through #DanielMorgan report, will post as I go through but likely without comment at this stage. Remember some #forensic work dates back to 1987 and should be judged accordingly. /1