Abstract

The main aim of this chapter is to consider what is known about the ways in which forensic science support assists the investigation of volume crime – in particular, the investigation of burglary and vehicle crime – in the 43 police forces of England and Wales. In its course the chapter asks and answers a series of basic questions about the quantity and quality of this assistance. These questions include the following:

How are scientific support units (SSUs) resourced?

What proportion of crime scenes are attended and forensically examined?

What level of forensic material can we expect to recover from crime scenes?

What are the matching efficiencies of the different types of evidence?

What investigative output should be derivable from these?

And what are the factors critical to achieving an effective and efficient level of forensic support?