Introduction

The Fourth SIPR conference was held in partnership with the Scottish Police Services Authority. Following the format of previous SIPR conferences the first day comprised a morning plenary – focusing on the theme of ‘Policing in an Age of Austerity’ – followed by two parallel sessions in the afternoon organised by SIPR’s networks. One session, organised jointly by the Police-Community Relations and Police Organisation networks, focused on practitioner research and show-cased findings from several SIPR Practitioner Fellowship projects where practitioners had worked in partnership with academics on an applied topic of relevance to policing. The other session, organised by the Evidence and Investigation network, focused on the use of new science and technology in the investigation and prosecution of crime and marked the beginning of the ‘New developments in forensic science’ meeting that then extended into the following day and included an opportunity to visit SPSA’s new forensic laboratory in Dundee.

A Book of Abstracts and Biographies (pdf file [457 Kb]) is available to download. This includes Abstracts for all the Poster Presentations.

TUESDAY 14th SEPTEMBER

Policing in an age of austerity

Chair: Professor Nicholas Fyfe, Director SIPR

• • Chair’s introduction

Podcast

• [2.95 Mb, 6 minutes]

• • Pat Shearer (President, ACPOS)

Podcast

• [5.49 Mb, 12 minutes]

• Paying the bill? Policing after the recession Keynote Speaker: Professor Martin Innes (Director, Universities’ Police Science Institute, Cardiff University)
  PowerPoint [1.55 Mb]
  Podcast [21.9 Mb, 48 minutes]

• Using procedural justice to encourage cooperation with the policeand compliance with the law Dr Ben Bradford (SCCJR, University of Edinburgh)
  PowerPoint [313 Kb]
  Podcast [8.92 Mb, 19 minutes. Due to a technical fault, only the second half of this talk is available]
• Who pays? Prioritising prevention through collaboration in austere timesAlan Dobie (Scottish Business Crime Centre)
  PowerPoint [3.26 Mb]
  Podcast [16.1 Mb, 35 minutes]
• The limits of the justice system: coping with Homeland security in today’s societyWynsen Faber (Police Academy of the Netherlands)
  Text (pdf) of presentation [102 KMb]
  Podcast [12.3 Mb, 27 minutes]

Parallel Sessions

New developments in forensic science

Chair: Professor Jim Fraser, University of Strathclyde & Associate Director, SIPR

• Evaluating the contribution of science to the investigation of crime and criminal justice Professor Jim Fraser, Associate Director, SIPR
  PowerPoint [734 Kb]
  Podcast [9.0 Mb, 20 minutes]
• Remote chemical detection by tunable lasers Graeme Malcolm, M Squared Lasers
  PowerPoint [9.32 Mb]
  Podcast [9.73 Mb, 21 minutes]
• Forensic Science Provision to the Criminal Justice system Stan Brown, Chief Executive Forensic Science Northern Ireland
  PowerPoint [1.38 Mb]
  Podcast [16 Mb, 35 minutes]
• Interpretation and evaluation of evidence Professor Christophe Champod, University of Lausanne
  PowerPoint [3.51 Mb]
  Podcast [31 Mb, 70 minutes]
• Practitioner Research

Chair: Dr Ken Scott, Director, Centre for Criminal Justice and Police Studies, UWS

• Missing persons: practitioner research to national practice Dr Penny Woolnough, Senior Research Officer, Grampian Police Research Unit
  PowerPoint [11.0 Mb]
• An evaluation of operational deployment of police negotiators to incidents of deliberate self harm CI Andy Brown, Deputy Head, Leadership & Professional Development, Scottish Police College
• Australian and Scottish Perspectives Professor David Bradley, Edith Cowan University Centre for Social Justice, Washington
• Panel discussion: Learning from Practitioners’ Research Experience Discussant: Supt Tony Beveridge, Tayside Police

Civic Reception and tour at SPSA Forensic Services, City Quay

Civic Reception, at the SPSA Forensic Facility, Dundee, hosted by Lord Provost John Letford

WEDNESDAY 15th SEPTEMBER

New developments in forensic science

Chair: Tom Nelson, Director of Forensic Services, SPSA

• Chair’s introduction
  Podcast [1 Mb, 2 minutes]
• Niamh NicDaeid (University of Strathclyde) Development in forensic science research – looking to the future
  PowerPoint (PDF) [1.76 Mb]
  Podcast [20 Mb, 44 minutes]
• Martin Bill (Forensic Science Service) New DNA developments
  PowerPoint [7.1 Mb]
  Podcast [17.1 Mb, 37 minutes]
• Jim Thomson (LGC forensics) Cannabis DNA
  PowerPoint [2.29 Mb]
  Podcast [13.2 Mb, 29 minutes]
• Kenny Laing (SPSA Forensics, Glasgow) Powder suspensions – Operational perspective
  PowerPoint [1.6 Mb]
  Podcast [14.4 Mb, 31 minutes]

Chair: Professor Jim Fraser, University of Strathclyde & Associate Director, SIPR

• Richard Sleeman (Mass Spec Analytical Ltd., Bristol) Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
  PowerPoint [18.5 Mb]
  Podcast [13.2 Mb, 29 minutes]
• Sue Black (University of Dundee) New methods in human identification [1.0 Mb] UPDATED, SEPTEMBER 2014
  Podcast [14.0 Mb, 30 minutes]
• Marielle Vennemann (University of Strathclyde) RNA in Forensic Science
  Podcast [13.8 Mb, 30 minutes]
• Q & A Session
  Podcast [3.87 Mb, 8 minutes]
• Patrick Sears (DSTL) Developments in explosives research
  Please contact Patrick Shears (PSEARS@dstl.gov.uk) for further details
  Podcast [14.4 Mb, 31 minutes]
• Panel discussion Professor Jim Fraser (University of Strathclyde), Tom Nelson (SPSA), Roddy Ross (ACPOS), Liam Murphy (CoPFS)
  Podcast [14.6 Mb, 32 minutes]

Forensics Showcase

The ‘Forensics Showcase’ included Posters and Exhibits on:

• “Shoot, No shoot” – decision making firearms training developed at the University of Abertay
• DNA technology – developments from the Forensic Science Services
• SPSA Forensic Multimedia Unit: Bringing Evidence to Life
• Stable Isotope Profiles: investigating illegal people trafficking and aiding victim identification at SCRI / University of Dundee
• Teeth as a Source of Information for Forensic Science – University of the West of Scotland
• Novel methods in drug profiling: chiral analysis of Methylamphetamine – University of the West of Scotland
• Exhibits from the SPSA Forensic Services:

• Science: there when you need it (Rapid Restricted Analysis (RRA) of Drugs)
• The Removal of Cocaine Impregnated in Clothing
• Fingerprint Recovery from Banknotes after Heat-Treating for Trace Drug Detection
• The use of Vacuum Metal Deposition to Visualise Fingerprints and Grab Impressions on Fabrics
• Bloodstain Pattern Analysis and DNA findings
• Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
• Development and Implementation of DNA Mixture Interpretation Software
• The NABIS database for firearms

• Restoration of Stamp Marks and Development of an Etching Paste – Abertay University
• The Behaviour of Air Rifle Pellets in Ballistic Gel – Abertay University
• Exhibits from CAHID, University of Dundee:

• Limb Vein Pattern Analysis for Human Forensic Identification
• Advances in Burnt Bone Analysis: The Use of Micro-Computed Tomography and Histomorphometry to Assess Morphological Change – Randolph Quinney et al., CAHID, University of Dundee
• Age Assessment in the Living
• Forensic Image Enhancement
• Conducting a Cognitive Interview and creating a Facial Composite Sketch remotely via Webcam
• Forensic computerised facial reconstruction employing cone-beam Computed Tomography
• Can 3D facial composite construction aid or improve memory at interview level and subsequently recognition test level?

See the Book of Abstracts for further details (pdf file [457 Kb])

Professor Martin Innes

(Photo: SPSA)

Forensic Scientists at work
(Photo: SPSA)

The Mansion House

West Park Centre, Dundee

West Park Centre, Auditorium