Overview
Forensic Science Northern Ireland is responsible for the provision of scientific advice and support to enhance the delivery of justice.
Originally opened in 1956 as 'The Department of Industrial and Forensic Science' and later remamed 'The Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory' the organisation became an Executive Agency of the Northern Ireland Office on 1 September 1995. The name was changed from 'The Forensic Science Agency of Northern Ireland' to 'Forensic Science Northern Ireland' in April 2000. On the 12th April 2010, as a result of the Devolution of Policing and Justice in Northern Ireland, Forensic Science Northern Ireland became an agency within the Department of Justice.
Approximately 90% of the work submitted to the Agency originates from the PSNI and the mix therefore reflects trends in local crime, especially violence and other serious offences, as well as the investigative priorities of the police.
FSNI over recent years has seen a substantial growth in submissions relating to violent crime/offences against the person and drugs-related crime. The residual terrorist threat remains significant and highlights the importance of a broad integrated range of professional forensic science expertise and capacity being available locally. Whilst DNA continues to be a cornerstone of forensic science, it is in complex high priority cases that the interconnectivity of the various forensic techniques and specialisms comes to the fore. As an example the examination of a single exhibit such as a mobile phone may need carefully planned sequencing of the recovery of DNA, fingerprints, fibres and data extraction.
The Agency receives roughly 20,000 exhibits per year (not including DNA swabs and blood samples) and derives a further 80,000 sub-exhibits from them. Storage conditions for exhibits and sub-exhibits depend on their nature and may be at ambient, refrigerated or deep freeze temperatures as appropriate. Exhibits also range in size from vehicles, doors and other large objects, to extremely small items. Exhibits may also, due to their nature, present health & safety challenges, e.g. guns, knives, drugs, biological material and toxic, flammable or explosive substances. Handling, packaging integrity and tracking of the storage and movement of exhibits is therefore of vital importance.
FSNI acts as the custodian of the Northern Ireland DNA database and regularly uploads NI DNA profiles onto the UK's National DNA Database. The standalone nature of the NI database allows for faster local searching as well as compatibility with both UK and Republic of Ireland data. This facilitates the comparison of DNA profiles and identification of individuals possibly associated with crime scenes anywhere within the UK and, where their legislation allows, in the Republic of Ireland. This latter point is important in the growing area of cross-border crime and will become even more important now that the Republic is taking steps to introduce its own DNA database.
