http://www.crfp.org.uk/
This institution, which was instigated with Government backing to enhance the reputation of Forensic Sciences, and to restore Public Confidence as a result of 'miscarriages of justice' has failed.Closure of CRFP on 31 March 2009
It is with regret we inform you that on 31 March 2009 CRFP will close.
At an Extraordinary General Meeting the Board decided CRFP is no longer in a position to fulfil its objects and therefore resolves that the company should cease trading in light of the following
(a) the decision of the Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency communicated in a letter of 4 February 2009 that he was “not currently prepared to authorise the release of any money to the CRFP for the 2009/2010 financial year”;
(b) the circular letter to all Chief Constables issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers Forensics Portfolio holder and the Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency dated 6 January 2009 strongly encouraging Forces “to review their future commitment to CRFP registration and the financial commitment that this requires”; and
(c) the consequent decision of the Metropolitan Police Service, communicated in a letter dated 2 February 2009, that “the MPS from 1 April 2009 will cease to fund subscription of MPS staff that wish to register for CRFP and will remove CRFP registration as a condition for pay progression”; and
(d) the decision of the Home Office, communicated in a letter dated 27 February 2009, that they “can see no basis to commit the further £175,000 of public money requested by the CRFP”.
As a result the Register is closed to new entrants with immediate effect, although the Register may still be accessed until 31 March 2009.
From 31 March 2009 the post-nominals ‘RFP’ will lose their currency and should not be used.
Individual applicants and registrants may apply for reimbursement of their pro rata fees which should be received by CRFP by Monday 23 March 2009 (full details are set out in a letter sent out to you today with a pro forma application).
We have been informed by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime Reduction that the Forensic Science Regulator and the Chief Executive of the NPIA have had in place for some time plans for the period of transition leading to the new regulatory system set out in the Regulator’s consultation document. The Board is awaiting the detail of any such plans. Should the plans have any practical effect on the situation described above we will inform you without delay.
CRFP Board 11 March 2009
I am hardly surprised given the total apathy of the CRFP to actually deal with real issues, and to allow totally discredited experts to remain on their Register when thy knew full well that those individuals were at best totally incompetent.
To think the Home Office were unprepared to subsidise them to the tune of £175,000 tells us everything we need to know.
The CRFP was purely a money making Organisation that failed to deal with the very thing it was set up to address.
Let me suggest it was taking moneys by fraudulent means, allowing creditable experts to be tainted by those they should have disowned.
There clearly needs to be a new regulatory body set up in the UK, and we can only hope they will be able to achieve what the CRFP failed to do.
I suggest the Fingerprint Society also need to urgently address their own Code of Ethics this weekend at their Conference, given they have adopted the CRFP ones at their own.
Maybe they could utilise the IAI ones???