New Value
DNA solves more burglaries
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Preliminary research undertaken by ESR shows New Zealand Police are clearing close to 100% of burglary cases where DNA crime scene evidence is processed, but samples are only submitted from 2% of burglaries.
Principal ESR Forensic Scientist Dr John Buckleton said New Zealand’s hit rates and clearance rates compare favourably
to those of the United Kingdom, but the study highlights areas where improvements can be made. Dr Buckleton presented results from preliminary research into burglaries and the use of DNA evidence at the forensic science summit in Wellington.
He told attendees that New Zealand’s submission rate for processing DNA crime scene samples burglaries is about
a quarter of that of the UK yet New Zealand’s actual clearance rates are superior. “It indicates that even a modest increase in the submission of crime scene samples here could have a huge impact on solving burglaries and other volume crimes”.
Crime scene samples are sourced from blood and other evidence that is left at a crime scene and that may provide a DNA profile that can link to an offender.
“In New Zealand, samples from only 2% of volume crime scenes are submitted by police for processing. Of these an actual DNA profile is generated in about 64% of samples and a link to a potential offender is made in about 38% of these.
In the UK, links are generated to a potential offender at a much higher rate, largely because of their much higher submission rate, but the actual clearance rate by the UK police is significantly lower that than of the New Zealand Police. Dr Buckleton said that according to a British Home Office report, the UK had a year-on-year increase in DNA material collected (yield) from crime scenes - resulting in a 74% increase over five years.
“There was a 76% increase in DNA from crime scenes submitted to a forensic provider for processing over the same period. These rates are markedly above New Zealand’s current levels.
“Evaluation in the UK has shown that the number of matches obtained from the database (and the likelihood of identifying the people who committed the crimes) is driven primarily by the number of crime scene profiles loaded on the database.”
ESR and the New Zealand Police have begun a nationwide evaluation to identify best practices in the collection and processing of crime scene samples in New Zealand police districts.
“We need to identify what we are doing right so we can do more of it,” Dr Buckleton said. “While our research is a small-scale preliminary study it does seem to indicate that New Zealand could solve a lot more burglaries if more crime scene samples from volume crime scenes were processed. There is also great potential to reduce recidivist offending,” he said.
Principal ESR Forensic Scientist Dr John Buckleton said New Zealand’s hit rates and clearance rates compare favourably
to those of the United Kingdom, but the study highlights areas where improvements can be made. Dr Buckleton presented results from preliminary research into burglaries and the use of DNA evidence at the forensic science summit in Wellington.
He told attendees that New Zealand’s submission rate for processing DNA crime scene samples burglaries is about
a quarter of that of the UK yet New Zealand’s actual clearance rates are superior. “It indicates that even a modest increase in the submission of crime scene samples here could have a huge impact on solving burglaries and other volume crimes”.
Crime scene samples are sourced from blood and other evidence that is left at a crime scene and that may provide a DNA profile that can link to an offender.
“In New Zealand, samples from only 2% of volume crime scenes are submitted by police for processing. Of these an actual DNA profile is generated in about 64% of samples and a link to a potential offender is made in about 38% of these.
In the UK, links are generated to a potential offender at a much higher rate, largely because of their much higher submission rate, but the actual clearance rate by the UK police is significantly lower that than of the New Zealand Police. Dr Buckleton said that according to a British Home Office report, the UK had a year-on-year increase in DNA material collected (yield) from crime scenes - resulting in a 74% increase over five years.
“There was a 76% increase in DNA from crime scenes submitted to a forensic provider for processing over the same period. These rates are markedly above New Zealand’s current levels.
“Evaluation in the UK has shown that the number of matches obtained from the database (and the likelihood of identifying the people who committed the crimes) is driven primarily by the number of crime scene profiles loaded on the database.”
ESR and the New Zealand Police have begun a nationwide evaluation to identify best practices in the collection and processing of crime scene samples in New Zealand police districts.
“We need to identify what we are doing right so we can do more of it,” Dr Buckleton said. “While our research is a small-scale preliminary study it does seem to indicate that New Zealand could solve a lot more burglaries if more crime scene samples from volume crime scenes were processed. There is also great potential to reduce recidivist offending,” he said.
