Specialist Crime
A day in the life of an Assistant Forensic Practitioner
07:30 The start of another shift at Romford Police Station for Assistant Forensic Practitioner Helen Banderos. The day begins by Helen finding out what crimes have occurred on her borough and what scenes need to be examined. This involves Helen interrogating a number of police computer databases as well as liaising with her Examiner colleagues from the previous shift as well as with various police officers and departments around the station. To be effective in their roles, Assistant Forensic Practitioners must posses, both good interpersonal skills as well as basic computer awareness.
Although Helen works as part of a dedicated forensic evidence recovery team, she is responsible for making her own decisions and that includes planning her working day. Once she has prioritised her work she can then make contact with the victims of crime to let them know approximately when she will be attending.
"The thing I most like about my job is the variety, you never usually know what the day will bring."
09:00 The first job of the day is to attend the station’s Photographic Studio to photograph the visible injuries of a victim of an assault. The photography of victims of crime is only one of a number of photographic roles that an Assistant Forensic Practitioner maybe called upon to carryout during their day.
"Before I became an Assistant Forensic Practitioner I had an interest in photography. But now with the professional training I have received through my job, I have the skills and confidence to photograph any item or incident."
Assistant Forensic Practitioner’s have to attend and pass a number of courses specializing in photography, from a basic camera competency, through to professional skilled courses such as Arson Scenes and Night Time Photography. Any place or any object involved in crime could, potentially be required to be photographed and for those photographs and the photographer taking them to appear before a court. Giving evidence in a court, whether it is in a Youth Court, Magistrates Court or Crown Court is a very important part of an Assistant Forensic Practitioners duty, for which they receive extensive training in courtroom skills and evidence presentation.
09.50 Helen attends her first crime scene of day, a house break-in where a window has been forced open. All Assistant Forensic Practitioners are trained to carry out detailed forensic searches; these include the detection and retrieval of shoe marks, tool marks, DNA, fingerprints and other types of evidence that could be used to identify an offender. The search for finger marks is just one of the skills in the armory of an Assistant Forensic Practitioner.
"Although I have been given an outline of the incident by the police and victim. I use my experience, training and the skills that I have developed to assess the scene independently and conduct the appropriate forensic examination with the best possibility of finding evidence to identify the perpetrators."
11:00 Whilst preparing to return to the police station, Helen receives a call over her police Airwave radio requesting her to attend a business premises which has been the subject of a robbery.
"You can never predict what is going to happen next and where.2
11:20 Helen arrives at the office where the incident had occurred. During the robbery one of the suspects had cut himself and then left his blood at the scene. The collection of DNA samples from crime scenes is a vital piece of evidence in the attempt to identify suspects.
"Each crime scene is unique and some are more complex than others. The training and guidance that I have received helps me to handle any situation professionally."
13:50 After lunch, Helen attends a police car pound where there are several cars to be examined. Vehicles involved in crime are often a good source of forensic evidence. This is due to the limited area and receptive surfaces such as glass.
"A lot of vehicles that I examine have not only been stolen, but have then been used in more serious crimes such as robberies."
15:30 Back at the police station; Helen’s day is not over yet. Paperwork is a vital part of the job and it needs to be completed promptly.
"Not only do I have to make sure that the evidence I have found goes off promptly to be dealt with by the right departments. But I must also make sure that my colleagues starting on the other shifts know what I have done during the day and what I have found."
16:30 Off duty.
"I can go home knowing that I have done my bit in the fight against crime."