The use of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy to identify the Golden State Killer in the United States of America, and more recently serial sexual assault perpetrator Robert Kwan in Australia, have raised the profile of new investigative technology, and with it the challenges it raises to civil liberties and personal privacy. While large bodies of literature highlight the benefits of utilising new technology within criminal investigations, the challenges and complexities of the application of new investigative technology have been not well connected within the literature. To address this gap, we conducted two advanced reviews asking what the challenges and complexities police and forensic personnel have in using new investigative technologies, including new and novel forensic capabilities, and what impact this has on police and forensic culture.

We conducted the advanced reviews by systematically sourcing 351 articles across 11 multi-disciplinary databases using 29 search statements. The focus of this review was on police and forensic experiences and attitudes towards new investigative technology, as it related most dominantly to serious criminal investigations, resulting in a final sample of 17 relevant, high quality and strong articles.

Through exploring the common themes among the literature, challenges and complexities faced by police and forensic practitioners in the use of new investigative technologies included technical expertise and processes, complexities in defining crime and evidence, technological advancement, and perceptions and beliefs. Within these themes it was evident that the challenges and complexities in using this new technology stemmed from a social-psychological, rather than technical, basis raising the question about the impacts these challenges and complexities had over the environment in which police and forensic personnel investigate crime. Through further analysing the data, attitudes, behaviours, beliefs, trust levels and assumptions were identified as internal systems that impacted the operation of new investigative technology within police and forensic areas.

This presentation will explain the importance that organisational culture has on operational acceptance of new investigative technologies, such as FIGG, and the role that internal beliefs systems have in supporting or damaging public trust in those same operations. The observations of this study have a high level of relevance across new and novel forensic applications in DNA and genetics.

Authors

• Alexandra Quinton (University of Canberra, Australia)
• Nathan Scudder (University of Canberra, Australia)
• Caroline Tseung-Wong (University of Canberra, Australia)
• Bruce Arnold (University of Canberra, Australia)