CLPEX Chat Board

I'm shocked -- SHOCKED -- to learn that there is gambling going on here!

Thats just touching the surface. staff from the unit have told me that the lab technicians swab for dna in a room that has a cleanliness conformaty certificate that has lapsed over 18 months meaning every major job carried out in that room can be knocked in court. it has also been suggested that the previous lab manager encouraged technicians to lie in their statements about exhibits that had gone missing. i am disgusted by this behaviour. Is this policing? I dont think so. it is my intention to bring this to the chief constables attention.

Thats just touching the surface. staff from the unit have told me that the lab technicians swab for dna in a room that has a cleanliness conformaty certificate that has lapsed over 18 months meaning every major job carried out in that room can be knocked in court. it has also been suggested that the previous lab manager encouraged technicians to lie in their statements about exhibits that had gone missing. i am disgusted by this behaviour. Is this policing? I dont think so. it is my intention to bring this to the chief constables attention.

Good luck maintaining your anonymity, Nemesis. Something tells me the agency in question has pulled out all the stops in an attempt to root you out. To heck with investigating real crime, there is a whistleblower who must be silenced.

This is in the publics interest. i shall be checking under my car from now on.

Don't be disappointed by the overwhelming sound of silence from the public. My experience suggests that no person cares until he becomes a victim of injustice. Go forth and prove me wrong. Please, prove me wrong.

nemesis wrote:Thats just touching the surface. staff from the unit have told me that the lab technicians swab for dna in a room that has a cleanliness conformaty certificate that has lapsed over 18 months meaning every major job carried out in that room can be knocked in court.

Meh...what exactly is a "cleanliness conformaty certificate"? I'm not sure that I've heard of a crime lab in the US having any such certificate or seal of approval. How exactly does one inspect for that? As long as they're bleaching work spaces, surfaces, and utensils between cases, I'm not sure what steps you expect people who swab evidence to take? Do you think the average house or car has ever had a "cleanliness conformaty certificate" and I'm sure that plenty of evidence is swabbed at scenes not just at the lab. Not saying that there isn't a potential problem but this sounds relatively minor.

Staff from the unit have told me that officers have been contacted on several occasions and lied too. thats obviously not minor. dont know about the states but taking those lies to court in a statement is a criminal offence here. there are aldo serious disclosure issues. all in all it stinks and they need to sort this sloppy attitude to what is a very serious job. i say again. i am not surprised they made a wrong ident with this slack attitude.

It just gets better. i have now been informed that aftrr a restructure to save money, the west mids forensic science unit have been left with no provision to attend scenes by lab staff. it appears that they have been left with no experienced staff after down grading the posts. worst of all, it appears they had to poach lab staff from staffordshire police to attend a west mids scene. i am very concerned about this. if the west midlands now get a major incident they will have to rely on the availability of another force. What kind of policing is this? I now feel compelled to write to the police authority. this police force serves me and my loved ones and clearly parts of it are being run by people unsuited for the role.

Dear Nemesis,

There were those in the UK who tried to blow the whistle in other notable cases in England and Scotland in the past decade. Others could comment more authoritatively than I, perhaps "Big Wullie." It seems to me the whistle blowers fall into two categories, those who are employed within the system and those who are not employed within the system. Those within the system end up with their careers in tatters and those outwith the system are completely ignored. Either way, nothing happens to change the system. Perhaps you may start a trend in a different direction. My better judgement tells otherwise. At some point in the future, my fear is that you will simply stop posting and we will have to assume you were called to task for speaking out of class. Watch your back. The truth needs to be told, but the truthteller often pays a terrible price and, in the end, accomlishes nothing.

nemesis wrote:It just gets better. i have now been informed that aftrr a restructure to save money, the west mids forensic science unit have been left with no provision to attend scenes by lab staff. it appears that they have been left with no experienced staff after down grading the posts. worst of all, it appears they had to poach lab staff from staffordshire police to attend a west mids scene. i am very concerned about this. if the west midlands now get a major incident they will have to rely on the availability of another force. What kind of policing is this? I now feel compelled to write to the police authority. this police force serves me and my loved ones and clearly parts of it are being run by people unsuited for the role.

Many agencies in the US are too small to field or fund a crime scene unit let alone a crime lab. It isn't unusual for a municipal police force to rely on a county sheriff's department or even a state level agency to respond to a major scene. As long as the scene is locked down and secured some delay in response is acceptable.

Tazman, you are absolutely right. i know people from this unit that have been bullied and driven out. i shall not stop posting if only to keep this subject at the top of the forum. i have been told that it is read by people from the unit. i guess the only way forward is to go public. i think the news papers. my contacts are willing to support these aligations with ststements and emails that have been kept. there are three or four witnesses to some of what has gone on. the integrity of police in this country is in the spotlight at the moment with the hillsborough inquirey. they should be squeeky clean as they rely on confidence from the public. i pay my taxes and am a parent and dont want them gambling with evidence.

"there's nane ever feared that the truth should be heard but they that the truth would indite"

"Some days you're the windshield, some days you're the bug."

Which do you feel like today, Nemesis?

Today i am the windshield. with a great set of wipers for rubbing those bugs away.