School of Design, Engineering & Computing

Streetwise students examine forensic evidence

4 February 2011

Forensic students from Bournemouth University have used a simulated crime scene to test their skills in recovering and analysing evidence.

The scene, set at interactive education centre Streetwise in Bournemouth, featured a live scenario including a terrorist bomb plot. The Streetwise facility, sponsored by Liverpool Victoria, offers a range of settings which are ideal for a simulated exercise – from a street scene to a full sized barn, beach, bus, train and heath. In each setting, BU academics set up realistic scenes including a terrorist safe–house, bomb factory and suicide bomber.

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

“With this being a practical exercise they also have their transferable skills.,” Alex continued. “There's a lot of teamwork that goes on within the groups and they have to brief the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) so they're developing communication skills."

As budding CSIs scour for fingerprints and other clues, second year Forensic Computing & Security students from the School of Design, Engineering and Computing investigated mobile phones and digital evidence planted in the various scenes.

“The evidence is in the form of data stored on memory sticks and SD cards,” explained Programme Leader, Michael Jones. “We have professional software tools to help them start the investigation of the evidence and they also have to use their initiative to fully complete the investigation. Each piece of digital evidence is unique – which we believe is a first for this kind of simulated exercise.”

Retired SIO and BU guest lecturer Martyn Underhill acted as SIO on the exercise, 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’. "The students are learning how to handle exhibits and deal with scene management, which is really difficult,” he explained. “They’re learning 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."