A brief history of private sector exits/buyouts of UK forensic science providers.
TLDR: Key Forensic Services undergoes a change of ownership, the others perhaps are not far behind.
/1
A) Current FSP Eurofins Forensic Services
previous:
1996 LGC - owner 3i, management buyout following privatisation
2004 3i sells to Legal General Ventures (LGV) £70 mill
2005 [LGC buys Forensic Alliance £20mill - no ownership change]
/2
Apr 14, 2023 • 30 tweets • 7 min read
Looking at models for #forensic science provision in England and Wales, there are some immutable truths, namely, geography, population density and crime rates (which are a reflection of both) /1
This is the map of the 43 police forces in E&, its been this way roughly since 1972, which was a great improvement on 1946 when there were 117 police forces 👀 /2
Mar 30, 2023 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
Last year I analysed the police's responses in all the parliamentary committees on #forensic science. I produced a video I hoped would be useful if we ever have another parliamentary enquiry or if journalists decided to look into these issues again. /1
My goal was to show that the police responses are predictable and present a remarkably weak argument to justify their defunding of #forensic science. I hope the APPG ( fyi @ctmccartney) watch at least some of it before they question police witnesses and the FSR. /2
@BarrySheerman here's whats problemmatic with the govt's answer:
A) They didn't answer the question. On that basis it is fair to assume that either the govt have done no such assessment, or that they have, but don't want to admit it because the outcome of the assessment is so shockingly bad. /2
Dec 15, 2022 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
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
Dec 5, 2022 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
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
Nov 11, 2022 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
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
Mar 17, 2022 • 16 tweets • 3 min read
Given the talk about a national #forensic service I've been thinking about what that could look like in 2022, if knowing what we know now, we had a blank piece of paper and we could start anew. Building on the good stuff, learning from the rubbish stuff of the past and present/1
I've been thinking about how we could test any models proposed to fill that void. If I or anyone else came up with a model - how could we test it to assess whether it was any good or better than what we have now? /2
Mar 10, 2022 • 33 tweets • 9 min read
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
Feb 1, 2022 • 30 tweets • 19 min read
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
Oct 27, 2021 • 19 tweets • 4 min read
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.
Jun 15, 2021 • 19 tweets • 12 min read
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
clothing and fibres #DanielMorgan /2
Apr 26, 2021 • 105 tweets • 10 min read
@LordsSTCom report 'Forensic science and the criminal justice system: a blueprint for change' debate starting at 3.35pm #LordsForSci
Lord Patel opening the debate #LordsForSci
