The landscape of forensic intelligence research

Abstract

Criminology, forensic science and policing scholars have a significant role to play in exploring new developments and directions in modern policing. Yet while the concept of forensic intelligence has caught the attention of a number of policing agencies around the world, it has yet to become a mainstream undertaking. In part this is an artefact of a pragmatic policing culture that only institutes new practices based on demonstrable, research and practice-based effectiveness. Here, we seek to draw attention to efforts in the scholarly community to accumulate a body of evidence on the efficacy of forensic intelligence. The article describes the international landscape of research pertaining to the development of forensic intelligence. We outline the key use of digitised, triangulated data on biometrics, scene of crime and illicit substances. In doing so, we draw attention to the challenges remaining for scholars and professionals to further understand and advance the use of forensic intelligence in mainstream policing.