Stakeholders wanted to develop a rapid automated system for trace evidence recovery, classification, analysis, and evaluation for the use against VAWG

29/09/2022

Project Title: The development of a rapid automated system for trace evidence recovery, classification, analysis, and evaluation for the use in cases of violence against women and girls (VAWG)

Project summary: This project is aimed at producing a ground-breaking technology that will allow a game-changing improvement in the evidence available in cases of violence against women and girls. Building on our proven technologies, we will generate a system for the recovery, classification, analysis, and early evaluation of trace evidence. By this approach, we aim to produce a step-change improvement in the use of such evidence. Our expectation is that this will allow improved detection, leading to enhanced deterrence and, thereby, better security of those at risk of crimes of violence against women and girls. While such crimes will be our focus, the system that we will create will be of value in the detection all crime types in which the perpetrator is physically present at the crime scene.

Stakeholder Panel Purpose: The purpose of this panel is to provide advice on the needs of end-users from those who know. That advice will ensure that the system that we build will be fit-for-purpose.

Who are we looking for? We seek to form a Stakeholder Panel from those with a deep understanding of the needs of:

victims (as represented by relevant third sector organisations);
those who serve in police forces, including, for example detectives, first responders, forensic service professionals, serious crime reviewers, IT managers, systems analysis, and, of course, those with a leadership role in the policing of violence against women and girls
Forensic Science Providers
Those who serve the criminal court processes
The forensic regulatory team
Those who sell and buy forensic equipment and forensic consumables.

This is all primarily within the context of solving crimes of violence against women and girls, while also keeping in mind the wider potential of system we are building.

In addition to the Stakeholder Panel, the project also involves input from practitioners and a partner police force. These inputs will provide us with the understanding of those involved in dealing with crimes of violence against women and girls on a daily basis. Therefore, we are seeking people to serve on the Stakeholder Panel who are leaders in their fields and who can provide us with the high-level advice and guidance that we need.

Why get involved? This is an opportunity for you to make sure that the ground-breaking system being built will be fit-for-purpose. You will do this by providing a voice for those directly affected by crime and those who are instrumental in bringing the offenders to justice. You will provide advice directly to the project’s leader and to the project board. You will provide knowledge and information that will directly shape that technology and how it will be used to benefit society. Directly supporting the NPCC Chief Scientific Advisors strategy in ‘getting in front of the technology, rather than adapting the technology. You will also gain an early knowledge of this emergent technology and how it can be used to benefit society.

What is required? Attendance at four virtual Stakeholder Panel meetings, which will be evenly distributed through the project’s duration (October 1st, 2022 – March 31st, 2024). These will be scheduled at mutually convenient times. One member of the Stakeholder Panel will act as its representative on the Project Board, which will meet once every other month throughout the project. That representative need not be the same person for all those Project Board meetings.

Please contact: If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Dr Carolyn Lovell (Carolyn.Lovell@dorset.pnn.police.uk) of the Forensic Capability Network by the 15th of October 2022.