A wealth of information on all aspects of forensic science can be found on the World Wide Web. One potential drawback for UK residents is that the majority of these websites are based in the USA. The US Criminal Justice System, and the structure of their forensic science services, differs significantly from that in the UK, and this can sometimes lead to confusion. However many of these websites are very interesting and informative, and obviously the fundamental scientific principles of forensic science are the same in any country and any language. Some useful and informative forensic websites, and links to these sites, are given below.

Forensic Science Societies

The Forensic Science Society, FSSoc, at http://www.forensic-science-society.org.uk , is a UK-based independent organisation dedicated to the application of science to the cause of justice. The society was founded in the 1950s and is now a major influence in international forensic science.

The American Academy of Forensic Science, AAFS, at http://www.aafs.org , is the American equivalent of The Forensic Science Society.

 

Forensic Laboratory Services

The Forensic Science Service, FSS, at http://www.forensic.gov.uk , is an executive agency of the Home Office and the main provider of forensic science services to police forces in England and Wales.

LGC, at http://www.lgc.co.uk/, has recently merged with Forensic Alliance. Forensic Alliance was established in 1997 and was the UK's leading independent forensic science consultancy service. In addition to the traditional areas of forensic testing, Forensic Alliance had the expertise in some of the newer forensic disciplines, such as forensic entomology, botanical profiling and forensic palynology. LGC became an independent company in 1996, but was founded over 150 years ago as the Laboratory of the Government Chemist. LGC is currently the UK's leading independent provider of analytical and diagnostic services offering chemical, biochemical and forensic analysis.

Orchid BioSciences, at http://www.orchid.co.uk , is a market leading Biotech company which offers genotyping services for forensic science, paternity and agriculture. Their European base is near Oxford in the Thames Valley.

Foster and Freeman, at http://www.fosterfreeman.co.uk , are manufacturers of equipment for the forensic analysis of questioned documents, paint, glass, fibres, etc. Foster and Freeman equipment is used in all the major police and forensic science laboratories across the world.

The Scientifics Group, at http://www.scientifics.com , is a large, independent testing and consultancy service operating from 13 sites across the UK. Its activities include workplace and environmental monitoring, products and materials testing, and contaminated land analysis, in addition to aspects of forensic analysis. Scientifics are the sponsors of one of our student prizes, for the best overall performance in the final year of the degree course.

 

Local Constabularies

Links to some of the local police constabularies are given below:

Cheshire Constabulary at http://www.cheshire.police.uk

Derbyshire Constabulary at http://www.derbyshire.police.uk

Gloucestershire Constabulary at http://www.gloucestershire.police.uk

Staffordshire Constabulary at http://www.staffordshire.police.uk

 

Other Useful Websites

Crime-Scene-Investigator.net, at http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net , provides a good introduction to the main aspects of crime scene investigation, including crime scene management, crime scene photography, documentation and search procedures. The site also has references to many useful textbooks, written articles and other websites.

Crimes and Clues, at http://www.crimeandclues.com , is another very good source of information on many aspects of crime scene investigation and forensic science.

Reddy's Forensic Homepage, at http://www.forensicpage.com , is published by Reddy P Chamakura, an experienced forensic scientist employed by the New York City Police Department. The site contains many links to sites of both general and specialist forensic interest.

Zeno's Forensic Site, at http://www.forensic.to , is another useful site with many links to sites of general and specialist forensic interest.

Links to a number of websites containing general forensic information or more specific information, such as murder case studies, can be found at the Yahoo! Inc Forensic Webpage at http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Forensics.

On a lighter note Dumb Crooks, at http://ww.dumbcrooks.com , is well worth a visit. It can be rather tedious to navigate, but there are some priceless anecdotes in here!

 

Text Books

Some excellent textbooks on general forensic science have also been published in recent years. Some of these are listed below:

Forensic Science, Andrew Jackson and Julie Jackson, Pearson Education Ltd, 2004, ISBN 0130432512, further information at: http://wps.pearsoned.co.uk/ema_uk_he_jackson_forensic_1.

Crime Scene to Court: The Essentials of Forensic Science, Peter White (ed), Royal Society of Chemistry, 1998,
ISBN 0854045392.

Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science, Richard Saferstein, Prentice-Hall, 2001, ISBN 0130138274.

Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection, Joe Nickell and John F Fischer, University Press of Kentucky, 1999,
ISBN 0813120918.

Techniques of Crime Scene Investigation, Barry AJ Fisher, CRC Press, 2000, ISBN 0849381193.

Henry Lee's Crime Scene Handbook, Henry C Lee, Timothy Palmbach and Marilyn T Miller, Academic Press, 2001,
ISBN 0124408303.

Traces of Guilt - Forensic Science and the Fight Against Crime, Hugh Miller, BBC Books, 1995, ISBN 0563369647.