Vryheid crime fighters learn from Scotland Yard trained forensics expert

CRIME scenes, while disturbing in many instances, have become a regular occurrence in our daily lives and, while many are compelled to avoid them, there are cases where they are unavoidable.

If you are the first respondent at a crime scene, whether by chance or voluntarily, it is imperative to fully comprehend what your responsibilities are and to secure and preserve the integrity of the scene until qualified assistance arrives.

Qualified assistance comes in the form of the forensic investigators who are tasked with reconstructing the crime, utilising all of the evidence available at the scene and this is why there is so much riding on the accurate and undisturbed preservation of the site where the crime takes place.

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To shed some light on the science of forensic investigation and its absolute significance to the course of justice, Col Flip Ferreira, head of forensics at the Local Criminal Records Centre (LCRC) recently met with members of the public at the Farmers’ Hall in Vryheid.

On March 21, Human Rights Day, community members, mostly from farming communities and local community safety forums, Vryheid Neighbourhood Watch and the AfriForum Safety group, filed into the hall and took their seats, ready to gain some valuable knowledge and advice from a veritable expert in the field.

Col Ferreira has been involved in forensic investigations for approximately 35 years and has undergone training from Scotland Yard during this time.

With the aid of a slideshow to illustrate the complexities of forensic investigations and the technology at their disposal, Col Ferreira explains how contamination of a crime scene can never be reversed, which is why it is so important that the correct crime scene management procedures are adhered to.

So, what is crime scene management and why must the scene be treated with such care?

Ferreira explains that, first and foremost, crime scenes must be secured, which refers to ensuring that no other traffic passes through where evidence may be present. In some cases, this would mean closing off the road and allowing only the first medical assistance to arrive, where necessary, through, and the necessary officials who will take over the scene.

Until the arrival of the LCRC forensics team, the integrity of the exhibits must be preserved and the crime scene must remain off limits to unnecessary traffic until a thorough and undisturbed investigation has taken place.

“If you take photos of evidence at a crime scene,” advises Col Ferreira, “you must be prepared to appear in court with an explanation of that evidence and its relation to the crime scene. But don’t ever remove evidence from a body at a crime scene… If you’re at a crime scene and it starts raining, try to cover the evidence with whatever may be available and inform the forensics department of any changes to the scene…”

Victims and suspects at a crime scene must be handled in accordance with organisational procedures and proper recording of facts and events must be carried out.

Crime scenes can be extremely emotional settings, especially when lives have been lost. It is often difficult for those affected by the loss of a family member or a loved one to understand why these ‘heartless investigators’ just leave the body of the deceased out in the open. Sadly, that body is also evidence and must remain undisturbed at the scene until a full forensic investigation of the scene has been completed. It does sound heartless, doesn’t it?

However inconsiderate this may sound to some, it is actually an unquestionably necessary procedure in this type of investigation. The evidence that can be gained from an uncontaminated crime scene is an incomparable building block when it comes to serving justice on the perpetrators of the crime.

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“Contamination or cross contamination of a scene often leads to cases being lost or thrown out of court,” explains Col Ferreira. “We do understand that those who have lost someone to crime are sometimes upset that the body remains exposed at the scene, but we want to catch the criminals responsible for your loss and make sure we have a strong case to put them away. Unfortunately, this is an unavoidable part of what is required to build that case… The body must remain at the scene until absolutely everything has been done.”

There is much interest as Col Ferreira delves into the science and technology behind forensic investigation and provides some intricate insight into how evidence is collected.

His eyes light up with pride and a hint of delight as he displays the tools of his trade and explains how far technology has come when it comes to catching criminals.

“Fingerprints can be lifted from anything smooth,” he elaborates, “DNA and fingerprints can even be lifted from the inside of a latex glove,” he smiles.

He then relays a full description of the procedures carried out to gather and process evidence and the new tools available to forensic investigators as they tackle the daily task of building the cases that put criminals behind bars and help Lady Justice to balance her scales.

According to feedback from many who attended the highly informative meeting, his presentation was exceptionally well presented and it was unanimously established that “Col Flip Ferreira certainly knows his stuff” as he answered all of the questions addressed to him with ease, providing insightful and detailed information for each query.

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