The roots of forensic science go back a long way back to the 19th century when the use of fingerprints to establish the identity of suspects and victims became the standard practice. As technology infiltrates every aspect of our lives, it is no wonder that solving crimes has become almost futuristic in its advances.
The Forensics Centre of Expertise develops the capability and capacity through research, development, and continuous innovation in order to provide scientific and technological forensic analyses and advice and deliver quality, accurate, and prompt intelligence so that crimes can be solved better and faster.
To push the boundaries of forensics science, we are working with partners to develop an innovative approach to extract more than a person’s identity from the prints. This approach also allows investigative leads to be obtained from smudged and low-quality latent prints, surpassing the capabilities of conventional latent fingerprint examination.
Another innovative project under development is the DNA Phenotyping Lab-On-Chip to amplify DNA and identify unique forensic markers such as gender, blood type and group, and biogeographical groupings technology. This technology will allow quick and key information about the individual donor to be obtained to support investigations, all within a mere three hours.
With the advent of modern technology and the forward thinking to embrace new technology, there is immense potential for forensics to be a game-changer in helping the Home Team to solve crimes faster.