Category Archives: Forensics Topic

What a Welcom(ing) Week it was to Start the Academic Year

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Follow us on Twitter: #proudtobestaffs

The academic year has gotten off to a fantastic, albeit busy, start. Welcome Week saw the arrival of new and returning students and LPF staff were delighted to begin teaching.

LPF first year students were introduced to our staff

 

For our first year students, the week commenced with enrolment and welcome talks from the Vice Chancellor, Liz Barnes, individual subject talks, safety talks from Staffordshire Univeristy Police, the societies and clubs fair and exciting activities – allowing students and staff to get to know one another.

 

 

Students had the opportunity to chat to staff over a warm drink and biscuits and receive one of the departmental hoodies.

Students enjoyed a few activities to ease them into the academic year…

Students linking pipe cleaners together to represent increasing their social capital and networking

Criminal Justice and Forensic Science quiz winners: 1st Rebecca Wheeler & Hannah Blackburn. 3rd place Kathryn Davis.

… and the week ended with a mock court trial at Hanley Court.

The jury taking notes

Teaching is now well underway and our students are working hard and are eager to learn. Returning students are already getting involved with various assements, projects, and mentoring.

Course mentors for Level Four Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Students

Preparing the Crime Scene House for a practical

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Law Society

The Forensic Dive Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is to a wonderful academic year: 2017-2018! #proudtobestaffs

 

 

Graduates of 2017

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Proud friends and family members cheered as our – School of Law, Policing and Forensic – graduates received their much-deserved certificates, yesterday afternoon in Trentham gardens.


Guests were not alone in celebrating the success of our graduates. Staff, dressed in their gowns which demonstrate their academic achievement, applauded the achievement of their former students. Speeches were given by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Liz Barnes, our Dean of Law Policing and Forensics, Sean Curley, and the Student Union Vice-President, Swetha Reddy.

Nigel Meadows, Senior Coroner of Manchester City and former LLB Law graduate of Staffordshire University was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Laws. He is also a member of the group for the National Enquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness, a Director of Training for Coroners for the National Judicial College and a representative of the Coroners Society on the Forensic End Users Group.

Kayleigh Sheppard and Alison Davidson, one of Staffordshire University’s own Specialist Skills Technicians, were award their PhDs.

Kayleigh Sheppard, PhD, with the Vice Chancellor, Professor Liz Barnes

Kayleigh’s thesis was titled ‘An evaluation of the use of 360 degree photographic technology in a forensic context’.

“My thesis explored the use of 360 degree photographic technology for recording and presenting crime scenes in the courtroom and sought to validate such technology for use within criminal investigations. In addition, the research sought to adapt the existing camera technology to incorporate lighting systems to allow the detection and visualisation of biological fluids at crime scenes [and] to make such camera technology systems more versatile within criminal investigations.”

Alison Davidson, PhD

“Alison’s thesis was titled ‘A study of the Potential Evidential Value of Perfumes, Antiperspirants and Deodorants in Forensic Science’.

“I was interested in whether the aroma chemicals we apply to our skin and clothes every day can tell investigators who we are and what we do, and whether, if a suspect leaves a garment at a crime scene it could be matched to the suspect later by the smelly chemicals on the clothes and skin. As I’m still working in the Analytical Methods Laboratory I’ll be continuing to research the human chemical profile and what it can reveal about our lifestyle.”

 

After the ceremony, celebratory drinks were had and there was no shortage of places to have a celebratory bite to eat. The sun had finally made an appearance and many took the opportunity of taking momentous photos in the scenic grounds of Trentham. The Staffordshire University merchandise also proved a great success.

 

 

 

Overall it was wonderful day and university staff and current student ambassadors enjoyed sharing the day. Congratulations graduates of Law, Policing and Forensics!

Staff, Student, Mother, Student, Staff?

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What it’s like being both sides of the campus! by Sharon Lees

Which head is on first today? I’m staff this morning, studying over lunch and a student in a practical this afternoon, and staff again later clearing up a different practical. Working full time in the School of Sciences as well as studying for a degree there is a juggling act. I have two diaries, an outlook calendar that sends reminders to my phone and personal calendar, also linked to my phone, and numerous post-its and lists dotted around various desks and bags. I’m nearly forty and lucky if I can remember to put my shoes on instead of walking out for work in my slippers.

Fellow students think I have an easy ride because I work here. No. I work in Forensic Science and am studying Biomedical Science. Very different areas. One ignores that I am a member of  staff because I am a student. One doesn’t take me seriously as a student because I do not attend socials and pub nights.

Staff think I know what I am doing because I am staff, and are very cautious of seeming to give me assistance in case it is viewed as favouritism. I feel I have to do well, or how will they view me?

I have two children who think I know what I am doing because I am a parent, and can’t understand why I want to fall into bed at six o’clock but have to stay up until eleven pouring over text books. My daughter was in hospital for almost two years, but I still have a mortgage to pay. My depression I have suffered since eleven years old doesn’t understand that I need a clear head and to be able to remember things, and likes to fog my brain for months with blackness. My dog doesn’t understand I cannot walk her when she pleases. My partner cannot understand I cannot go to the cinema and out for a meal at the weekends, I have studying to do. My house cannot understand I have no time for house work and washing and insists on generating dust and dirty crockery.

But I do enjoy it, manic and frustrating and difficult as it is. I enjoy learning, I enjoy investigating new areas of Science. I enjoy lists and organising my time (sad isn’t it) and feeling that I am achieving something every day, no matter how small it may seem at the time. Despite everything life throws at me, with the support of my colleagues and peers, my family and friends, I am still here, still earning and still studying.

Sharon Lees

Technical Support Assistant

Technical Services

Biomedical Science Undergraduate.

 

Summer Project from Forensics: creating working applications.

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Exciting news for one of our Forensic Investigation graduate’s James Duffy and his supervisor Dean Northfield; Lecturer in Criminal Justice and Forensics. 

Dean Northfield

James Duffy

 James who is due to graduate with a BSc in Forensic Investigation this year, was supervised by Dean during his final year project and received widespread interest from judges at this year’s GradEx as well as winning a prize for his work “Can mobile devices influence current photographic working practices within crime scene documentation” .

Jame’s Duffy’s Grad Ex presentation.

 

This project looked at integrating current mobile camera functionality, alongside newly developed optical equipment relating to forensic work, for example macro lens for close up forensic photography.

Following this interest Dean and James will be spending time this summer creating detailed user interface designs and specifications with the aim to develop a working prototype mobile Application.

With the help of Staffordshire University’s business development services department, a number of applications for funding will be explored, including the Crisford Fund which is aimed at Level 6 students completing their final year projects and who wish to commercialise their work http://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/50yc/competitions/ach-crisford-charitable-foundation-development-grants/ as well as opportunities to publish the research outcomes of James research.

Taking the School of Law, Forensics and Policing out for the Day.

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We’ve been out and about today at the Staffordshire County Show. The day was lovely and we had the chance to chat to people interested in our degrees.

SU Alumn (nursing)

 

 

Alumni family, both retired police officers.

It was particularly lovely to meet some of our alumni from nursing, counselling and law, and ex-police officers who came up to talk to us about how impressed they were by policing graduates and what they brought to the force.

 

 

9:00 am and this was our first ‘customer’. And look! She matches!

 

The team try to solve the puzzles we are giving away.

 

“Now what were you thinking of studying at university?

 

At the end of the day we had the chance to look around.

Boer Goats

Spinning wool

Judging cattle

Lichfield Mobile Belfry

End of Year Round Up

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It’s the end of the first semester as a new school and things are beginning to settle into their new shape.

There have been many student successes. Kerry Willis who is graduating from Forensic Science has a position as an intelligence analyst with Derbyshire police; Tayla Pomroy will be moving to a position as a detention officer;

Victrina Cuffie

Victrina Cuffi has been called to the bar while Arpan Bedi has been awarded a BPTC scholarship by Middle Temple. Harriet Rowley was awarded a Temple Pegasus Access and Support Scheme (PASS).

Kayleigh Shepphard

PASS is a scheme in place to assist those from “non-traditional” backgrounds to gaining a career at the Bar; this includes help in attaining mini-pupillages, as well as the opportunity to attend networking and advocacy workshops. Sociology students created an important theatrical intervention event with Dr. Emma Temple-Mault which engaged many offender management teams in the area.

Sociology students after the Intervention workshop.

Many of the Forensic Science students joined with students from Keele at the Potteries Museum  for an outreach event on science, technology and the First World War. And one of our PhD Students, Kayleigh Sheppard had an article featured in Forensic Science International.

There are plans for new ventures in the School including a new Small and Medium Sized Legal Services Hub within the School and tied to the Law Clinic which is expanding. Next year there will be a  cross School major incident simulation, a Law Conference for teachers and an Outreach event for British Science Week. A new degree in Criminology and Offender Management, and an MSci in Chemistry both launch next year at our Autumn Open Day on October 15th.  The BA In Criminology and Offender Management is a must for anyone interested in work in the probation service or the prison service.

Louis Martin who will lead the BA Criminology and Offender Management

There are plans shaping up for new Policing degrees and HIgher Apprenticeships to support the forthcoming Police Educations Framework, while Rhonda Hammond-Sharlot is working with local businesses to develop the Legal Practice Higher Apprenticeships–we expect to have at least thirty places by January 2018.

Dr. Graham Williams will join us later this summer as Head of Criminal Justice and Forensics, alongside Ruby Hammer who is Head of Law. We are already advertising new posts in Law to join our team.

Ruby Hammer

 

The Criminal Justice team also welcomes Dr. Jo Turner as Course Leader of Criminology and Professor James Treadwell as a new Professor within the group. Jo Turner is the co-author of Godfrey, B. Cox, D., Johnston, H., Turner, J.  ‘I am afraid she is perfectly responsible for her actions and is simply wicked’: Reconstructing the Criminal Career of Julia Hyland (Bloomsbury Press).

Jo Turner

 

James Treadwell is the co-author among other things of Riots and Political Protest and Fan Behaviour and Crime: Contemporary Issues.

Professor James Treadwell

Prior to becoming an academic, he worked for the crime reduction charity NACRO, and qualified as a Probation Officer in the West Midlands, working in both adult and youth settings. He was also an academic advisor on the Howard League Commission into Ex-Military Personnel in Prison.

The School has had good research news with a Winston-Churchill travel fellowship for Dr. Laura Walton-Williams, a book contract for Rachel Bolton-King and a joint contract for the key Torts text book for Ruby Hammer and Matt Sadler. Assoc. Professor Keith Puttick is working with the Sri Lankan government on a new maternity leave policy and is engaged with international organisations on a survey of best practice. Dr. Rainer-Elk Anders is working on an anti radicalization project with colleagues in Birmingham and this summer will be in Ukraine working on anti-terrorism initiatives.

In January Juliet Prince (Policing) and Laura Walton-Williams (Forensic Science) are running an  ‘Investigating Sexual Violence’ Conference. Sarah Page has been successful in her CHAD bid for the a sociological investigation of breast feeding and Public Health. This means there will be a chance for two undergraduate researchers to work with her on real life research.

Matt Sadler

Keith Puttick

Rachel Bolton-King

Laura Walton-Williams

 

Still thinking? Book your place for an Open Day.

 

Rainer-Elk Anders

Juliet Prince

What are we doing this summer? The first of an ongoing set of posts…

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It can seem that academics have a lot of free time in the summer, but it’s often when we do research work, prepare classes, and organise conferences. I’ll be posting news here from different parts of the School.

 

Juliet Prince and Laura Wlaton-Williams are spending part of  the summer organising a conference. Farah, myself and Laura are arranging the below and are happy for this to appear on a blog

The Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Department will be holding the inaugural, cross-disciplinary ‘Investigating Sexual Violence’ Conference in January 2018.  The aim of this conference is to explore current challenges and future developments in the entirety of the investigatory process into sexual offences.  The conference will include presentations and workshops from academics and practitioners from within Law, Criminology, Health, Nursing, Psychology, Forensic Science and Policing fields.  This  one day conference is relevant to Police Forces, Criminal Justice Agencies, academics, students and those working for organisations involved in supporting victims of sexual offences.

In addition all the PCI lecturers are spending considerable time over the summer considering the College of Policing proposals regarding apprenticeships and pre-join degrees.

 

GradEx 2017

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This is the third year of the GradEx show and the Forensics, Policing and Criminal Investigation team submitted over sixty entrants. It took three rooms to hold them. They take up 8 pages in the catalogue.

The day began with a visit from the Mayor 

 

and a welcome from the Grad Ex team, 

 

 

then it was on to meet the judges…

It’s not possible to mention all the papers, but highlights include Mia Jane’s Abbott’s work examining the Amnesty Box at music festivals for “legal highs”, Natalie Atkinson’s project on the persistence of bodily fluids after immersion, which will provide evidence in rape trials. Jake Bayliss was also working on persistence of fibres, this time comparing the effects of still water to moving water (in the river Trent) over a six week period. Jessica Crossland looked at the evidential value of tatoos both permanent and temporary and the effect of fire and chemical burning on discolouration.  Josh Hill explored the scatter pattern of microparticles from gunshots, and Tim Mussellwhite explored the small drones by the police and crime investigation authorities.Jessica Wakefield-Baugh revisted Oswiecim (Auschwitz) to remap the charted graves and uncover new ones.

The winners were Elli Savari, MSci Investigation supervised by Laura Walton-Williams and Lance Malcolm, supervised by David Flatman-Fairs.

 

 

 

 

 

Overall a fantastic day. Thank you in particular to Laura Walton-Williams and Juliet Prince for all their work.

 

 

Research Impact: ‘Effective Strategies to Combat Sexual Violence’

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One of the things we all do is to seek to change the world…

Dr Laura Walton-Williams was invited to speak at the Westminster Briefing’s conference, ‘Confronting Sexual Violence: Reducing Offending and Supporting Victims’, which was held in Victoria, London on Wednesday 10th May 2017.  She presented on ‘Effective Strategies to Combat Sexual Violence’ alongside Marcia Bravo, Operations Manager for Victim Support.  Laura’s presentation examined sexual violence prevention strategies, evidence recovery in sexual violence cases, lessons learnt from survivors and strategies for repairing the harm, as well as update on the national picture of historic sex crimes.

Laura presented to an audience of approximately 30 high ranking representatives from Police Forces, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Police and Crime Commissioners Office, City & County Councils and Victim Support Organisations. A report of the proceedings of this meeting will be submitted to Parliament to inform future policies in tackling Sexual Violence.

 

Also presenting were Kim Doyle & Stephanie Reardon (Joint Chief Executives for Lime Culture CIC), Dr Keiran McCarten (Associate Professor in Criminology, UWE Bristol), Rosalyn Boyce (Why Me? Ambassador & Restorative Justice Advicate) and Ady Lowe (Independent Sexual Violonce Adviser, Victim Support).