Watch any of the current crop of TV ‘forensics’ shows such as CSI and Waking the Dead and you would be forgiven for thinking that the solving of crime is just a matter of making startling conclusions based on convenient scraps of evidence and interviews with made-to-order suspects.

HOWEVER, THE REAL-LIFE WORLD OF FORENSICS is a great deal more complex than its sexy TV counterparts would have us believe. It is a world which calls upon the expertise of a myriad of disciplines – psychology, pathology, serology, psychiatry, toxicology and ballistics – and one in which interest is growing rapidly within the educational world.

Delving into this world, an appearance at the 2009 Association for Teachers of Psychology (ATP) Annual Conference at Exeter University, saw OCR working with two leading forensic practitioners- Brian Hook and Clive Donner – as they launched their new GCSE Psychology specification.

Considered to be the highlight of the conference, Brian and Clive’s Psychology based workshops provided a fascinating insight into the techniques employed in forensic investigation – what constitutes a crime scene, how a crime scene is examined, how prints are identified and preserved, the interpretation of witness statements and the importance of fibre comparison.

Although forensic science is a versatile and powerful tool in the investigation of a crime, science alone is not enough. To be successful, forensic techniques must be utilised along with the knowledge and experience of detectives, uniformed police, and civilian experts. Following the event, OCR News met with Brian and Clive – known professionally as CSI4U and regular consultants to the emergency response agencies in Europe and many other parts of the world – to discuss the world of forensics.

CSI on TV – help or hindrance
So working with a name such as CSI4U, do Brian and Clive consider the existence of TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the like to be a help or hindrance as they strive to introduce forensics to a new audience? Brian: “We often ask our fellow professionals and the teachers and students that we train if they watch CSI and the answer is that almost everyone does. People have always been intrigued by crime-solving fiction, their detection, criminals and their motives. CSI-type programmes have gone to a higher level, it’s not a ‘who dunnit’ but a ‘how we can prove they dunnit’.” The vast majority of people realise it’s an entertainment show; it’s the subject matter that is fascinating and enigmatic. The show makes people think. It’s raised the profile of Crime Scene Examination and Management greatly and for that we are grateful and in general people realise that the content, examination results and circumstances are shortened to fit into the time parameters. Hopefully one day we may be able to actually get results in the same time scale.”

Background and experience
Whilst pondering the future of forensics, Brian turns back the clock to the years of learning his trade. “I was a police officer in the Metropolitan Police for 30 years,” says Brian as he references an impressive CV. “Over half of that I spent on specialist units: homicide teams, murder as it was called in the old days; the Racial and Violent Crime Taskforce and the Anti-Terrorist Branch. In all those specialist roles I was involved in forensic examination of crime scenes, forensic management of crime scenes, lecturing and training to other agencies outside the police service and also within the police services, nationally and abroad. Most uniformed officers have a multitude of jobs to do. So it’s about knowledge, it’s about training and so early on I embarked, on behalf of senior officers, to spread the message – if people haven’t got that knowledge, go out and give it to them. As Clive can attest, nobody can possess all the knowledge, you can’t have it all, all you can do is pass on as much as you possibly can.”

Consultancy to education
So having established an impressive track record with the Metropolitan Police and as a forensics consultant, how did the move into the educational world come about? Brian: “I was approached by Thames Valley University to look at their Forensic Degree course, and at this time, Clive and I were also involved in training other agencies around the world. It was pointed out to us that what we were doing training-wise would actually be a very good platform for team-building and so we took part in an open day and as a result we got a phone call from a high school in Sussex asking us to go along and speak to them. It kind of ballooned from there really.”

Approach
With the move into the world of education underway, how much distinction was made in the approach to the teaching of forensics to fellow professionals as opposed to teachers and students? Brian: “Having lectured extensively in the UK and overseas to both groups I think the difference is not as big as some may imagine. One of our maxims is ‘Training as Real as It Gets’. We endeavour to make it just that. Both groups tend to have some general idea of forensic issues but the professionals, law enforcement. The main difference is the professionals are put under far more pressure and levels of scrutiny than teachers or students ever would be. If teachers or students then progress and themselves and enter the professional arena, that’s when they will come up against that level. We keep lectures to the minimal time as possible. The best way to learn is to bring together all the strands of knowledge in a practical hands-on way and involve students or delegates. Benjamin Franklin said: ‘Tell me and I will forget. Teach me and I will learn. Involve me and I will remember.’ So we involve them.”

Working with OCR
The ATP Conference saw Brian and Clive’s first association with OCR as they helped launch its new GCSE Psychology specification using a series of practical and theoretical activities entitled The Wonder of Forensic Psychology. “We were tasked with bringing out the psychological profiling and the psychological aspects of forensics so the first thing we did was to look at the definition of psychology,” remembers Clive. “We quickly realised that whilst they might have a good broad knowledge of psychology, they actually probably, other than CSI on TV, didn’t know a lot about forensics. So, the first thing we did was raise their level of forensics knowledge: what is it, how is it done, and why is it done? What are our capabilities and also what are our limitations?” After establishing a theoretical base, practical activities for delegates included the chance to make a photo-fit using actual Police software and the opportunity to guess ‘Who Dunnit’ following a robbery. Explains Brian: “We created a crime scene scenario – the theft of a valuable cup from Walkham Hall country house – which was broken down into different disciplines – physical exhibits, witness statements, E-fits and finger-print evidence. We injected clues so delegates would have to work out the significance to certain things. The answers were there for the teachers and students, but the whole purpose was for them to look at all the different aspects and to use their critical thinking to solve the crime.” “I think the crucial thing is that we recognise that all this has to be a positive experience. It’s no good it being otherwise. We want these activities to be informative and fun,” added Clive.

Moving forward
Flushed with their success at the ATP Conference, Brian and Clive are in [no] doubt as to the wisdom of teaching forensics and the benefits it brings to students and teachers as well as to themselves.  “To be a successful forensic psychologist you must have a firm understanding and knowledge of what drives an investigation and how the examination of a crime scene is done. Passing on the knowledge, experience and comprehension of scene examination and management forensics still excites us,“ affirms Brian. Equally enthused, Clive says: “To be able to pass that on to others with the same passion or to see that passion being woken is a magnificent feeling. I always had a thirst for knowledge and the one thing about what we do is you never stop learning.”

As to the way ahead, the course appears clear. “Clive and I have become more and more involved in the educational world and it’s obvious there is a need for our skills, knowledge and ability. We can impact on a variety of subjects where forensic knowledge is required either directly or because it forms a part of a broader knowledge base. I think that we and OCR complement each other and I believe hat working together in the future would be mutually beneficial.”

Catching the Ripper
Given the modern forensic science techniques available today, would such expertise have caught the perpetrator of the most famous of unsolved crimes – those of the Whitechapel Murderer himself, Jack the Ripper? “Most likely” is Brian’s answer. If the current methods and procedures had been in place we would like to think that they, or those responsible, would have been caught and convicted. The application of the disciplines of crime scene preservation and control and the continuity and integrity of the recovered forensic evidence would mean the evidence would provide much more information and intelligence about the suspect(s).” Although five murders are generally attributed to ‘Jack’, there were a total of 11 murders investigated between 1888 and 1891. “I know that the witness statements are no longer in existence, but the coroner’s inquest was widely reported and a lot of the testimony from private and police was reported verbatim so partial records do exist. So it would have been interesting to not only look at them forensically, but to also apply the current psychological profiling methods to the scenes, witnesses and potential suspects to enhance and focus the investigation.”