New Crime Scene Training Facility for Forensic Science students

Date: 21 February 2012

New Crime Scene Training Facility allows Forensic Science students to put their skills into practice.

Forensic Science students from the School of Applied Sciences at BU can now put their scientific investigation skills into practice at the new Crime Scene Training Facility.

Mock crime scenes are set up at the facility, which includes two bedrooms, one with an en suite, a lounge-kitchen-diner, a bank complete with a counter and a cash machine and an illicit drugs den. Dummy bodies are also used within the crime scenes.

Inside the crime house the scenarios include a decomposing body of a murder victim, an attack on a female, who has been strangled by her own tights and a burglary. Students are expected observe and analyse the situation as well as gather forensic evidence from the scenes and complete the necessary paperwork.

The new setting, which replaces Rose Cottage, was opened by Andrew Rennison, the Forensic Science Regulator for the Home Office.

He said setting up realistic scenarios in a facility like the one at BU has huge benefits. Andrew said: “Every part of forensic science requires very detailed and demanding training. Facilities like the one at BU play an enormous role in training people at the front end in the crime scene investigation side of forensic science. If you get it right at this end all of the forensic science further down, through the labs and into the courts is much much better. The benefits of this are enormous in terms of training new students who are the crime scene investigators and fingerprint experts of the future. It provides a great opportunity to put skills into practice in a very safe environment.”

Alex Otto, Demonstrator in Forensic Science at Bournemouth and former Crime Scene Investigator said: “The new Crime Scene Training Facility at BU provides students with a great opportunity to experience scenarios that are as close to a real life crime scene as possible. It allows students to fine tune their practical skills, such as finger printing and collecting forensic evidence in a realistic situation. As well as these practical skills, it provides the students with an opportunity to fine tune vital transferable skills such as observation, team work and communication.”