Abstract Today, forensic science is used in a number of fields, including; education, health and law enforcement. All aspects of the criminal justice system make use of forensic science today. It has significantly boosted criminal investigations, security efforts, as well as court proceedings. The increased use of forensic science in law enforcement has been due to technological advancement, and increased public awareness.
Forensic Science: Its Relevance Within the Criminal Justice System
Forensic science has, since its inception, had an impact on a number of fields, including education, health, law enforcement (the criminal justice system), to name but a few. Of these, the criminal justice system can be rightly considered the greatest beneficiary of forensic science (Fantino, 2007). Thanks to technological advancement and increased public awareness, all aspects of the justice system today including but not limited to policing, investigations of crime, security efforts and court processes rely, to a large extent, on forensic science (Garrison, 2013). Forensic science in the criminal justice system involves applying "medical knowledge to legal questions" (Garrison, 2013).
The disciplines of forensic science are either based on laboratory testing (such as drug and mitochondrial DNA analyses and toxicology) or on observed patterns (such as specimen analyses, bite marks, and fingerprints) (Garrison, 2013). During criminal investigations, samples of footprints, fingerprints, saliva, skin cells, sweat or blood are collected from the crime scene and presented to a forensic laboratory for analysis by experts. The expert report is then presented as evidence during court proceedings (Houck & Siegel, 2010). It is possible that an experienced criminal may not leave fingerprints at a scene of crime. However, it may be extremely difficult or impossible for them not to leave traces of sweat, blood or skin cells (Garrison, 2013).
Discussion
The importance of forensic science in law enforcement will be examined herein under policing, security efforts, and court proceedings.
Policing: DNA is an individual's genetic blueprint, unique to them and easily identifiable (Garrison, 2013). It is for this reason that DNA evidence has been able to provide solutions in cases that had veered off the track due to lack of witnesses or insufficient physical evidence (Stevens, n.d.).
Forensic science has significantly improved criminal investigations by expanding the range of evidence from which investigators could obtain crucial leads. Advancements in forensic technology have made it possible for investigators to obtain crucial DNA samples from small, degraded, yet critical sources such as cigarette butts (Stevens, n.d.). Such advancements have significantly reduced instances where innocent people are wrongly convicted and punished, as the guilty remain unpunished - a phenomenon that was quite common when law enforcers relied entirely on physical evidence (Stevens, n.d.).
Investigations involving complex cases that were traditionally extremely difficult or impossible to prove, such as cases of sexual assault, have, as a result of forensic technology, received a significant boost (Garrison, 2013). Traditionally, investigators relied solely on physical evidence to not only investigate but also prosecute offenders. However, this often proved difficult, especially if the culprits were careful enough as not to leave fingerprints or if the case lacked witnesses (Garrison, 2013). Today, investigators in such a case would simply obtain DNA samples from the victim and then subject the same to the CODIS matching system for matching and identification (Houck & Siegel, 2010).
Forensic technology has significantly boosted efficiency in policing activities. First, unlike analyses involving physical evidence, forensic evidence can be analyzed and results obtained within only forty-eight hours (Houck & Siegel, 2010). Police are, therefore, in a position to make arrests even before laboratory testing is complete (Houck & Siegel, 2013). The time factor is key in any criminal investigation, as it makes it possible for law enforcers to take advantage of the early stages of the investigations, which are quite crucial (Houck & Siegel, 2010). Secondly, instances of mistaken identity are quite rare, and so are the civil lawsuits that come with them (Houck & Siegel, 2010).
Security Efforts: Forensic technology has boosted the law enforcement agencies' security enhancement efforts, not only in America, but in the world over (Houck & Siegel, 2010). Through the CODIS system, police are able to match DNA samples collected from scenes of crime with profiles that already exist on the DNA database (Houck & Siegel, 2009). The DNA database is made up of DNA samples of all arrestees (Houck & Siegel, 2010). Samples collected from crime scenes, when matched with those on the database, reveal familial relations, which are then used to identify the offenders (Houck & Siegel, 2010). The main advantage of the CODIS system lies in its ability to trace samples obtained anywhere in the world (Fantino 2007).
Forensic technology also enhances security through the use of fingerprinting technology when purchasing firearms and in immigration services (Fantino, 2007).
Court Processes: Advancement in forensic technology has made forensic evidence a highly reliable source of evidence (Houck & Siegel, 2010). The rules of evidence today recognize forensic evidence as reliable and admissible in court. Forensic experts can conduct tests on collected samples, formulate reports based on the results obtained, and present the same as evidence during court proceedings (Houck & Siegel, 2010).
Despite its high degree of efficiency, the use of forensic science in the criminal justice system faces a number of challenges. The CSI effect is one significant challenge (Stevens, n.d.). This, and the improvements that are likely to be witnessed in the near future have been briefly discussed in the subsequent sections of this text.
The CSI Effect
Television shows such as Forensic Files and CSI are quite popular and largely shape the way law enforcement agencies are viewed by the general public (Stevens, n.d.). The criminal systems portrayed in such shows are exquisite, where samples are collected, tested, and within forty-eight hours, presented to the police (Stevens, n.d.). This, however, cannot be the case on the ground because a very large number of cases are presented to forensic analysts on a daily basis (Stevens, n.d.). It, therefore, takes some time before the whole process is complete. The implication is that the public begins to view the law enforcement agencies as inefficient, simply because they do not meet the efficiency standards and expectations set by the media. This is the CSI effect.
You’re 82% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.