Forensic science laboratory

In 1929, Sir Arthur Dixon, Assistant Secretary of State at the Home Office, wrote a memorandum on the need to make use of science in police investigations.

Lord Trenchard, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, decided that although the Force, as it was then called, could call on various eminent scientists, it was time to establish science within the Force itself. The Home Secretary, Sir John Gilmour, agreed and on April 10 1935 he officially opened a Metropolitan Police laboratory at the Police College at Hendon.

During the 1930s, a number of provincial police forces started their own laboratories. One by one these came under Home Office control to form the basis of what was to become the Home Office Forensic Science Service. With a staff of about 340, including over 200 graduate scientists (many with PhD[6] degrees) the Metropolitan Police Laboratory has become one of the world’s laigest forensic sci­ence laboratories and it is widely acknowledged as a leader in its field.

The main purposes of the Laboratory are to help London’s police to investigate crime and to provide scientific evidence and expert interpretation for the courts. Scientists examine items submitted by investigating police officers and, when necessary, they give scientific assistance and advice at scenes of crimes or other incidents.

The Laboratory uses new discoveries in science to improve the range and quality of its services. The Laboratory also trains the users of its services so that they may understand its capabilities and the significance of the results obtained. It handles more than 18,000 cases a year, ranging from theft to terrorism.

The kind of work undertaken by the Laboratory includes analysis for alcohol in blood and urine specimens in drink-driving cases; analy­sis for heroin, cocaine and other drugs; fire investigation where ar­son is a possibility, and accident investigation in particularly serious (often fatal) road accidents. It analyses natural and synthetic fibres and fibre dyes; examines guns; analyses gunshot residues; exam­ines documents in cases of suspected fraud and other serious incidents; and analyses tool and other kinds of marks. Footwear marks continue to be a valuable aid in crime investigation, especially for armed robberies.

Scientists also analyse poisons and noxious substances of vari­ous kinds, as well as traces of paint, glass and other materials. Blood grouping and DNA profiling form an increasingly important part of the work of the Laboratory.

Forensic science is a demanding profession, because scientists may have to appear in court as Expert Witnesses. Whereas most people are only allowed to give the court evidence about facts - what they personally saw or heard - an Expert Witness advises the court on what interpretations the evidence will bear and what interpreta­tions it will not bear. In these circumstances scientists can expect to be subject to searching cross-examination.

SPECIAL BRANCH

The Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police was formed in 1883. The authority for its formation was given by the Assistant Commis­sioner for Crime at the time on the instructions of the Home Secre­tary.

The Branch was formed to combat the activities of the ‘Fenians’ and, because of this, was originally known as the ‘Special Irish Branch’. The ‘Fenians’ were Irish Republican extremists who, seek­ing Home Rule for Ireland, were at that time placing bombs in various public buildings in London and at one point tried to blow up Scotland Yard itself.

The Special Irish Branch was veiy successful in its efforts and after three years’ Irish’ was dropped from its title. It was expanded to deal with security problems at the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 and still later with foreign anarchists who were regarded as a danger to society.

Except for a period during the First World War, the Special Branch has formed part of the CID[7] throughout its existence and is today headed by a Deputy Assistant Commissioner. The members of the Branch are police officers recruited from either the Uniform Branch or other parts of the CID and are subject to exactly the same condi­tions and regulations as all other police officers.

Despite the air of mystery sometimes attributed to the Branch in spy novels and TV series, it is in fact merely one of the specialist units used to provide efficient policing by the Force. Crimes commit­ted for political reasons or against the State are still crimes. Political assassination is still murder and a terrorist bombing amounts, tech­nically, to serious criminal damage or assault although both may be more dramatic and treated more seriously both by the police and the Courts.

This means that, as with all crimes, the police have a primary responsibility of prevention and if that is not achieved, the identifi­cation, arrest and prosecution of those responsible. Special Branch, therefore, always works within the law and the criminals it deals with have the same rights as any others.

The work of Special Branch is not widely publicised and is often, therefore, misrepresented. Its prime functions may be broken down as follows:

• to keep a watch on the movements of undesirables through air and sea ports;

• to cany out enquiries from the Home Office in cases where aliens apply for British nationality;

• to help guard Government ministers and foreign VIPs visiting Britain;

• to supply information about the activities of organisations or individuals who threaten the security of the country or seek to cause the breakdown of law and order.

Special Branch is concerned with contravention of the Official Secrets Acts and the prosecution of spies. It is fully occupied with combating the activities of the IRA in Great Britain in just the same way as its early forerunners, the Special Irish Branch, acted against the Fenians of the 19th Century.