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 FSSoc.
 
 

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.

Forensic Alliance, at http://www.forensicalliance.com, was established in 1997 and is now the UK's leading independent forensic science consultancy service. In addition to the traditional areas of forensic testing Forensic Alliance now has expertise in some of the newer forensic disciplines, such as forensic entomology, botanical profiling and forensic palynology.

Orchid BioSciences, 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 perfornmance in the final year of the degree course.
 
 

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, 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 Home Page, 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://www.dumbcrooks.com, is well worth a visit. It can be rather tedious to navigate, but there are some priceless annecdotes 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

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
 
 

Webpage created by Dr Mark Tonge, 11.07.00,  last modified 11.10.04