Republic of Latvia State Police Forensic Service Department Implements Project Aimed to Introduce ISO/IEC 17020 Standard in Crime Scene Investigation
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With the financial support of the Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme European Commission – Directorate – General Home Affairs REPUBLIC OF LATVIA STATE POLICE FORENSIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT implements project aimed to introduce ISO/IEC 17020 standard in crime scene investigation Project partners – Forensic Unit of Stockholm County Police and Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. Project activities During project imple- mentation via cooperation of crime scene experts from Latvian State Police, Estonian State police and Stockholm County Police following activities will be implemented: • external audits; • two study visits; • meeting and workshop for experts from Baltic coun- tries; • seminars and trainings for crime scene experts on qual- State Police Project objectives ity management system and ISO/IEC 17020 standard, Forensic Service Department Main objective of project is to implement training for experts, who implements project aimed to introduce quality management system according to will ensure compliance with ISO/IEC 17020 standard and training of quality system requirements, ISO/IEC 17020 standard in crime scene investigation experts as well as increase awareness among seminars and trainings on crime scene experts regarding their role in significance of above men- joint investigation teams, where gathering tioned quality standard, In April 2013 State Police Forensic Service Department of evidences has to be performed to ensu- changes applied to crime under framework of EU program „Prevention of and re their admissibility in court proceedings scene investigation process Fight against Crime” launched implementation of project taking place in other countries. and chain of custody; “Implementation of ISO/IEC 17020 in Crime Scene • development of instructions Investigation Process to Develop Common Practices for roject is being implemented to avoid situations in and manual for experts; which evidences gathered in one country are not • development of Crime Evidence Gathering in Cross-border Context” (Project P being recognized as admissible due to non-compliance Scene Investigation No. HOME/2012/ISEC/AG/FP/C1/4000003845). with standards established in other country. Management System. Funds allocated from EU are EUR 510 097.30, which is During project external audits will take place to 90% of total project budget. Project partners are Forensic identify necessary improvements in existing procedures Project will be implemented Unit of Stockholm County Police and Estonian Police to reach compliance with ISO/IEC 17020 standard. within 24 months and will and Border Guard Board. Preventive and corrective measures will be defined as finish in April 2015 well as implementation of these measures will be started. 2 3 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 Project partners Forensic Service Department of the State Police of Latvia orensic Service Department is structural tions’ inquiries in order to ensure proceedings Funit of the State Police and is the biggest in criminal and civil cases. All together there are forensic institution in country with central working about 150 forensic experts and crime forensics laboratories and divisions in Riga as scene experts. Most of them are police officers. well as regional ones in Daugavpils, Liepaja To prove its expertise, quality management and Valmiera. Department performs 90% of system according to international standards all forensic investigations (with exception of (ISO/IEC 17025) has been implemented in coroner’s inquests) on requests of police, prose- divisions of Forensic Service Department as cutor’s offices, courts, Finance Police and other well as in laboratories of Examination Bureau institutions. In average 22.000 forenisc inves- and Bureau of Regions, more than 15 areas are tigations are performed annually and Forensic already accredited. Service Department’s experts are working in Forensic Service Department continuously biggest police stations. The main functions of improves methods applied and builds its capac- the Forensic Service Department experts are to ity through improving professional skills of investigate material evidences on demand of law experts and within limits through procurement enforcement institutions, prosecutor’s office of state-of-the-art equipment. Forensic Service and courts, and to provide expert statements, Department is member of European Network methodical and practical assistance to institu- of Forensic Science Institutions (ENFSI). The State Police of Latvia Police are obliged to protect the life, health, rights and freedoms, property, public and national interests of the criminal and other illegal threats. e organize our work, respecting the and other status, race and national origin, sex Wlegality, humanism, human rights, and age, education and language, religious affil- social justice, transparency, and on the basis of iation, political and other convictions. population assistance. State Police has five regional administra- The rights and legitimate interests are pro- tions, which are responsible for policing priori- tected regardless of nationality, social, financial ties and the availability of public security police. 4 5 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 Project partners The Forensic Unit, Stockholm County Police, Sweden The Forensic Unit at Stockholm County Police consists of approximately 100 persons (Crime Scene Investigators as well as forensic scientists). he Forensic Unit provides forensic ser- The Forensic Unit also performs sever- Tvices throughout Stockholm (~ 2 mil- al forensic examinations at the Stockholm lion inhabitants) and also assists with forensic Forensic laboratory, for example development knowledge to other authorities, such as the and identification of fingerprints, and exam- National Criminal Investigation Department ination of shoe prints, plastic bags, weapons, and the Swedish Security Police. clothing and vehicles. Forensic Analysis is also Estonian Police and Border Guard Board The Forensic Unit performs crime scene performed at the Forensic Unit, to be able to investigations in all major/serious crimes in connect and link crimes by forensic evidence. In 2010 Estonian Police and Border Guard Board /PBGB/ the Stockholm County. Several of the CSI´s Quality assurance is an important issue at was formed by merging former Police Board, Border Guard have areas of special competence (such as the Forensic Unit and parts of the activities Board and Citizenship and Migration Board. blood pattern analysis, forensic archaeol- performed are accredited according to ISO/ ogy and osteology, environmental crimes, IEC 17025. Education and training as well as here are four regional structural units in tion on scenes and in laboratory conditions ballistic and shootings, fire investigations, research and development are other focus areas, TPBGB - North Prefecture, East Prefecture, every day. post-blast and explosives and DVI (disaster to achieve legal security and help to prevent and South Prefecture and West Prefecture – that Although the main functions, tasks and victim identification). solve crimes now but also in the future. performs tasks of all four main work areas – activities as well as legislative frame for all four border control of the external border of the SCI units are harmonised they still have some Schengen area, prevention and investigation distinctions that come of regional quiddity. of crimes, safety and public order in the state Just because of that, the division of work in and determination of citizenship and issuance CSI unit in North Prefecture that has to cover of documents. capital city Tallinn and it’s surrounding area Structure of prefectures is just the same, where the crime rate and thereof the workload there are four similarly sub structured bureaus is the highest, differs a bit from others. in each of them: Border Guard Bureau, Crime CS investigators of SCI units are trained in the Bureau, Public Order Bureau, Citizenship and current scientific techniques and methods utilized Migration Bureau. in the identification, preservation, documenta- As the prevention and pre-trial investiga- tion, collection, and processing of evidence. tion of criminal offences are one of the main All CSI units in Estonian PBGB are working tasks of Criminal Bureaus, specialized Crime hard to arise forensic awareness and improve Scene Investigation /SCI/ unit is formed quality level applying little by little ISO/IEC in each prefecture. In total, approximately 17020 related terms and principles in order 70 crime scene investigators, most of police to meet the requirements of the state of art of officers, are performing technical investiga- science and technology. 6 7 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 State Police Forensic Service Department Tel. +371 67208662, fax +371 67208477 e-mail: [email protected] www.ekspertize.vp.gov.lv, www.vp.gov.lv With the financial support of the Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme European Commission – Directorate – General Home Affairs 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135.