3 Research findings

Criminal justice stakeholders

Show description|Hide description Illustration of a DNA double helix and mobile phone.

They believed the public trust in the science and its scientists but sometimes lacked trust in forensic science as it was generally associated with policing and government. They believed poor communication and a lack of transparency regarding the role of forensic scientists may negatively impact perception(s) of forensic science.

General public

• 97% (of people surveyed) were ‘familiar’ or ‘very familiar’ with the term ‘forensic science’, mostly heard from TV or other popular media.
• People trust in forensic science and the scientists who deliver it but often distrust the institutions that use it (police, government).
• There is greater trust in private forensic laboratories than in police laboratories, reflecting lower trust in policing.
• People were unsure as to what their rights are, and what to do in situations where they are asked to provide their DNA or mobile phone to give information which may then be used as evidence in a criminal case.

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A horizontal bar chart showing the relative familiarity of different forensic evidence types on a scale from 0 to 100.

• Fingerprints: ~95
• Single source DNA: ~85
• Bloodstain pattern: ~72
• Digital evidence: ~52
• Mixed source DNA: ~48
• Cell site analysis: ~15
• Shoeprints/footwear: ~9

Seldom heard communities

This included young people (16–17-year-olds), immigrants, people who are homeless, ethnic minorities, in recovery for addiction, those who have been convicted of crimes, who have suffered domestic abuse, or have low levels of literacy. Many of the issues around distrust include:

• Reluctance or inability to read or understand a leaflet or call for information about their rights in relation to forensic evidence collection.
• Distrust of police advice and reliance on their community network for information.
• Learning about forensic science evidence, mainly through TV documentaries, and they prefer these over fictional/ dramatised productions. They feel TV provides information about forensic science but are uncertain of the accuracy of what is shown on TV.
• Not knowing what they don’t know; they want to be able to ask someone what evidence they must hand over. The overwhelming need is for easy, in person access to accurate information.
• Research findings reveal that people have differing levels of trust in the way and what evidence police use. The chart shows that people differentially trust in how police use DNA and digital evidence and whether they trust public or private labs. People are not confident about what evidence they are required to handover for a police investigation.