CSI at Streetwise

Date: 7 December 2010

BU has taken over the facility and set up a terrorist bomb plot scenario.

Alex Otto, Demonstrator in Forensic Sciences who organised the exercise, explained: "Students have been put into groups with a Crime Scene Manager, photographers and Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) and they're to go in and investigate various different crime scene scenarios that we've given them."

Streetwise is an interactive education centre, sponsored by Liverpool Victoria, with a full sized barn, beach, bus, train and heath. In each setting BU has set up a different scene, including a terrorist safe–house, bomb factory and suicide bomber.

As budding CSIs scour for clues, Digital Forensics students investigate mobile phones and computer evidence.

Retired Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) and BU guest lecturer Martyn Underhill acts as SIO on the exercises, giving students the benefit of his experience.

Martyn described the scenario, where the IRA and Al Qaeda liaise to carry out a terrorist attack, as ‘very 2010’. He said: "The students are learning how to handle exhibits and deal with scene management, which is really difficult. They’re learning it in an up–to–date scenario because terrorism is the big threat to us at the moment."

And the work doesn’t stop when the students leave Streetwise. They take samples such as bullets and blood swabs away with them to examine in the lab during the final year of their studies.

Second year Forensic and Crime Scene Investigation student Samantha Kunert, who hopes to pursue a career with the police, said: "We learn how to take the evidence, how to package it and who we need to send off for. For example, we needed a firearms expert to take the gun in the crime scene. It shows you how to work with people in their different roles and also how to work as a team."

Course mate Rebecca Lloyd added: "We can actually put our theory to the test. We can use what we've learnt in lectures and actually put it into practice so we can understand what we're learning. This particular scenario is very current."

Alex said: "With this being a practical exercise they also have their transferable skills. There's a lot of teamwork that goes on within the groups and they have to brief the SIO so they're developing communication skills."