Criminology-Unit 3 final notes Controlled Assessment - WJEC Applied Diploma in Criminology 2026-2027 (57pages)

AC 1.1 - Evaluate the effectiveness of the roles of personnel involved in criminal investigations. (10 marks) Crime scene investigators Role: A crime scene investigators role is to collect and preserve evidence from the crime scene. They main responsibility is to ensure that the evidence at the scene is not contaminated as tis would therefore mean it will not be admissible in court. work together with the police to decide what evidence is vital and decide the best way in order to gather it. They photograph the crime scene as well as any surrounding areasthat contain evidence, using the common approach path. Once they have obtained all the evidence, they have to pack and document everything so it is ready to be sent off for analysis by forensic specialists. In addition to this, the may also attend post mortems and give evidence in court. Effectiveness: Expertise- CSIs are experts in their field as they undergo through training and many also have a degree in a science related field. This would imply that they have a great deal of expertise as they have had the necessary training in order to carry out their role effectively. Availability- CISs are available 24/7 as they work on an on-call basis. This meansthat they could be called to a crime scene at any time of the day. This is essential as of course crimes can be committed at any time, and so its important that crime scene investigators can arrive at the scene quickly in order to obtain evidence before it may be possibly contaminated by factors such as the weather. Cost- Each CSI gets paid a salary, and so this will therefore incur additional costs to the investigation. Other evaluative points: • The samplesthat CSI’s collect may be a hazard to their health and safety, so these rusks need to be calculated and the appropriate measures taken in order to minimize the risk of harm • The role can be taking a toll on CSI’s mental wellbeing due to the nature of the scenes that they may attend to • The weather could contaminate the crime scene • They may be able to provide a suspect’s innocence through DNA or fingerprints testing. Case example- Amanda Knox: • Exchange student found dead in her flat In Italy, friend Knox suspected of murder. • Contamination of evidence, failuresto document evidence, planted evidence to falsely incriminate Strength • CISs may gather evidence that conclusively links suspects to crime scenes and victims • The evidence may also prove conclusively that a suspect is in fact innocent, e.g., when their fingerprints do not match those found by the CSI at the crime scene