'Clearly Necessary', 'Wonderful' and 'Engrossing'? Mass observation correspondents discuss forensic technologies

This article explores the perspectives of Mass Observation (MO) correspondents on crime investigation and application of forensic technologies in police work. Using the Panel's replies to two distinct, independently commissioned Directives (the 2006 Spring Directive, Part 1 'Genes, Genetics and Cloning' and the 2011 Autumn/Winter Directive, Part 1, 'Crime and Investigation'), the article examines the meanings and place correspondents give to genetics and forensic science in everyday life and in relation to crime and investigation, surveillance and law and order. The analysis surveys MO correspondents' understandings of the relationship between forensic technologies and policing and identifies the ways in which correspondents interpret, engage with and discuss their writing tasks. It is argued that MO data offer significant insights into how individuals select and appropriate information on different topics and incorporate this knowledge into distinct worldviews. These accounts constitute a rich, yet under-explored resource for (1) documenting the range of resources that inform the 'forensic imaginary' on which correspondents draw in explaining their fascination with or disinterest in criminal investigation and (2) conceptualising the ways in which distinct publics reflect on representations of crime. While the analysis highlights the benefits and limitations of a Mass Observation approach to documenting collective views on the role of forensic technologies in crime investigation, the conclusion reflects more broadly on both the contribution such an approach could make to the literature on public understandings of science and the uses and potential of MO data for social science researchers

An ethnographic approach to researching the introduction of new forensic DNA technologies in policing in the UK

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Forensic DNA techniques provide essential support in criminal investigations, especially in the case of serious and major crimes where no expenses are spared. However, we know less about their current use and provision in relation to offences which occur more frequently, such as burglary or theft from a vehicle (also known as ‘volume crime’ in the UK). There are different ways in which a researcher can begin to address this knowledge gap. The present case study discusses a qualitative methodological perspective that aimed to illuminate the ways in which existing and future forensic capabilities are viewed by the various professionals involved in their adoption and use. In the context of an unsettled forensic landscape, marked by budget cuts to police forces and an increased scrutiny on the effectiveness of forensic resources, understanding how forensic DNA technologies are made sense of by these professionals can help inform their implementation in policing. This case study shows how ethnographic interviews and observations, combined with visual and documentary methods open to critical scrutiny institutional processes and occupational dynamics that have often been overlooked in current scholarship. It argues that a qualitative perspective focused on organizational narratives and career trajectories renders visible the skills and activities of forensic examiners and police officers, and in doing so, provides valuable insights into the difficulties of introducing new forensic DNA technologies in the examination of volume crime

Effective resource management in digital forensics: an exploratory analysis of triage practices in four English constabularies

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Emerald via the DOI in this recordPurpose: Building on the findings of a British Academy-funded project on the development of digital forensics in England and Wales, this article explores how triage, a process that helps prioritise digital devices for in-depth forensic analysis is experienced by digital forensic examiners and police officers in four English police forces. It is argued that while as a strategy triage can address the increasing demand in the examination of digital exhibits, careful consideration needs to be paid to the ways in which its set-up, undertaking and outcomes impact on the ability of law enforcement agencies to solve cases. Design/methodology/approach: The findings presented are the result of ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews. They emphasise the challenges in the triage of digital exhibits as they are encountered in everyday practice. The discussion focuses on the tensions between the delivery of timely and accurate investigation results and current gaps in the infrastructural arrangements. It also emphasises the need to provide police officers with a baseline understanding of the role of digital forensics and the importance of clearly defined strategies in the examination of digital devices. Originality/value:This article aims to bridge policy and practice through an analysis of the ways in which digital forensic practitioners and police officers in four English constabularies reflect on the uses of triage in digital forensics to address backlogs and investigative demands. Highlighting the importance of digital awareness beyond the technical remit of digital forensic units, it offers new insights into the ways in which police forces seek to improve the evidential trail with limited resources.British AcademyEconomic and Social Research Council (ESRC

'Backroom Boys’: Occupational Dynamics in Crime Scene Examination

publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticleDespite a sustained preoccupation with crime scene investigation in policing and instructional literatures, government reviews and media accounts, the crime scene examiner has received scant sociological attention. Focusing on scientific support personnel in an English police force, this article analyses how embedded actors who routinely facilitate the provision of crime scene examination reflect on their role and position in the investigative process. The analysis draws on data collected in a small number of semi-structured interviews with stakeholders at different levels of seniority, in order to map an understanding of the inter and intra-professional interactions, exchanges, dependencies and negotiations employed by those working at the coalface of investigative practice. Hoping to illuminate some of the sense-making practices behind the enactment of forensic activities, the discussion examines the articulation of professional identities and the conclusion reflects more broadly on the processes of professionalisation and discourses of professionalism that accompany standardised forensic accomplishments

Digital media investigators: challenges and opportunities in the use of digital forensics in police investigations in England and Wales

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Emerald via the DOI in this recordPurpose In-depth knowledge about specific national approaches to using digital evidence in investigations is scarce. A clearer insight into the organisational barriers and professional challenges experienced, alongside a more detailed picture of how digital evidence can help police investigations are required to empirically substantiate claims about how digital technologies are changing the face of criminal investigations. The paper aims to focus on the introduction of digital media investigators to support investigating officers with the collection and interpretation of digital evidence. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on ethnographic and interview data collected as part of an Economic and Social Research Council-funded project on the application of digital forensics expertise in policing in England and Wales, this paper examines the changing face of investigations in relation to escalating digital demand. Findings The analysis presents the national and regional organisational parameters of deploying digital expertise in criminal investigation and examines some of the challenges of being a digital media investigator (DMI). Through testimonies from DMIs, digital forensic practitioners, investigating and senior officers and forensic managers, the analysis explores the organisational tensions in the collection, processing, interpretation and use of information from digital devices for evidential purposes. Research limitations/implications The paper offers an empirical basis for the comparative study of how the DMI role has been implemented by law enforcement agencies and its fit within broader institutional considerations and processes. Practical implications The development of the DMI role has raised questions about the supply of digital expertise, especially to volume crime investigations, and tensions around occupational divisions between scientific and operational units. Social implications The findings show that while the introduction of the DMI role was much needed, the development of this valuable provision within each force and the resources available require sustained and coordinated support to protect these professionals and retain their skills. Originality/value This study contributes to the growing sociological and criminological literature with an ethnographically based perspective into the organisational and occupational tensions in the identification and processing of digital evidence in England and Wales.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Managing Policing Demand for Digital Forensics through Risk Assessment and Prioritization in England and Wales

This is the final version. Available on open access from Oxford University Press via the DOI in this recordDigital forensic helps to unlock the evidential opportunities presented by digital devices. Ninety per cent of all cases in England and Wales carry a digital element and identifying the devices with the most evidential value is central to dealing effectively and efficiently with the demand for digital forensic (DF) analysis. This article offers an ethnographically informed, empirical analysis of how police requests for in-house DF examinations are organized in 35 forces in England and Wales, and the mechanisms, contexts, and challenges of managing-related internal demand, which have been rarely examined systematically in both policing and DF practitioner literature. The analysis illustrates how an updated understanding of risk and prioritization is needed to address the growing demand for DF analysis. The findings call for updated, systematic approaches that encourage the forecasting of internal policing demand collaboratively and bridge between the operational and the technical sides of investigations.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Gauge invariant Z_2 vortex vacuum textures and the SU(2) gluon condensate

For SU(2) lattice gauge theory, a new SO(3) cooling procedure is proposed which removes the SU(2)/Z(2) coset fields from the lattice configurations and reveals a Z(2) vortex vacuum texture different from the P-vortex content obtained in the maximal center gauge. Cooling can be restricted in a renormalization group invariant way by a parameter controlling the remaining SO(3) action density. A gauge invariant Z(2) vortex vacuum emerges asymptotically if cooling is not restricted. This ``vortex texture'' does not support the string tension or a finite part of it. The SU(2) action density associated with the new Z(2) vortex texture has a smooth extrapolation to the continuum limit. We propose an interpretation as a mass dimension four condensate related to the gluon condensate featuring in the operator product expansion.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, completely revised versio