Crimes (Forensic Procedures) Act 2000 - NSW Ombudsman - NSW ...

Recommendation 03
NSW Police ensure officers conducting forensic procedures have appropriate training and experience.
In particular, NSW Police consider implementing the following reforms.
a. NSW Police develop a forensic procedures portfolio in each local area or specialist command, with a
designated and fully trained forensic procedures officer responsible for the portfolio.
b. Individual commands consider developing a small team of officers with forensic procedures expertise who
will primarily be responsible for conducting forensic procedures in those commands.
c. Accreditation for a police officer to conduct any forensic procedure be conditional upon annual training.
In its response to the draft report, NSW Police stated that it supports recommendation 3(a) and “will determine the
appropriate area to undertake its implementation.” 294 With regard to recommendation 3(b) which received in principle
support, NSW Police agreed that better control and management of forensic procedures is required and advised that
it is assessing methods for improvement in this area.
NSW Police did not support recommendation 3(c) and stated that it will review this area to ensure issues concerning
adequate training are addressed. However, NSW Police does not believe that annual retraining of police officers in
conducting forensic procedures is appropriate. 295
4.2.7. Posters, quick guides and access to reference material
We were pleased to see that many of the commands we audited kept hardcopies of information sheets to be given
to people undergoing forensic procedures, lists of accredited officers, names of acceptable persons from local
community groups to act as interview friends and instructions on how to conduct forensic procedures. However, the
information at some commands was out of date.
Some commands had put together their own comprehensive forensic procedure information kit, which included
copies of all the relevant SOPs, information sheets, application forms for orders and instructions on how to use video
cameras. Some also included information specific to the command, such as contact details for independent persons
and interview friends. Most commands had dedicated storage areas for all the equipment and police policies relating
to forensic procedures next to or in the testing area. This was fairly standard across the eight commands we audited.
4.2.7.1. Electronic or hardcopy SOPs
Most of the commands we audited kept hardcopies of the SOPs with the rest of their forensic procedures equipment,
although some had only printed out copies of the SOPs most frequently used, usually those for taking buccal swabs
and hair samples from adult suspects.
Representatives from FPIT and the NSW Police Audit Group have indicated a preference for police officers to use
electronic rather than hardcopy versions of the SOPs, as this ensures they are always relying on the most complete
and up to date version. Although the SOPs are easily accessible on the FPIT intranet site, many officers prefer a
hardcopy, especially if they need the SOPs in front of them while conducting the procedure (forensic procedures are
usually conducted in an interview room, with no intranet access). We also note that 94 per cent of commands have
printed a hardcopy of the SOPs to keep on hand – so this is clearly what happens in practice. 296
If each command had a designated forensic procedures officer, as we recommend, this person could be responsible
for ensuring the hardcopy SOPs are complete and up to date.
In addition, and so that NSW Police supports the preferred practice of its officers, FPIT could establish a hard copy
manual as well as electronic material and provide updates as they occur.
4.2.8. Recording forensic procedures
Most of the problems we identified through our survey and audits stemmed from incomplete or inaccessible records,
rather than the forensic procedures themselves. Indeed, we found records management systems and practices varied
considerably between commands, and sometimes within a single command. This means that officers have to learn
different processes each time they move within the organisation. Not only is this inefficient, it poses a risk to NSW
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NSW Ombudsman
DNA sampling and other forensic procedures conducted on suspects and volunteers under the Crimes (Forensic Procedures) Act 2000