Journal of Forensic Investigation

Research Article

Level of Experiences in processing of Biological Forensic Traces at the Crime Scene among Palestinian Police Employees

Khalilia WM1* and Rabaia AM2

1Forensic Science Department, Al Istiqlal University, Jericho, Palestine. 2Law and Police Sciences Department, Al Istiqlal University, Jericho, Palestine.
*Address for Correspondence: Khalilia WM, Forensic Science Department, Al Istiqlal University, Jericho, Palestine. E-mail Id:khaliliawalid@gmail.com
Submission:20 January 2024
Accepted:22 February 2024
Published:24 February, 2024
Copyright:©2024 Khalilia WM, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords:Crime Scene Investigators; Forensic Science; Biological Traces; Bloodstains; DNA

Abstract

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) means taking all lawful methods, processes and procedures that lead to solving crimes and detecting the truth.This study aimed to evaluate the Palestinian Police Agency (PPA) employees’ perceptions towards the experiences in the documentation, collection, preservation, packaging and transportation of biological traces from the scene of crime. An item-based questionnaire was designed with this aim in mind, and its reliability as well as validity were tested. The study’s target group included (244) PPA-affiliated crime scene investigators and officers who served in the governorates of Hebron, Jenin, and Ramallah during summer of 2022. The majority of respondents expressed agreement or neutrality regarding the technical procedures used at the crime scene. In general, PPA employees have positive experiences with the preservation, documentation, collection, packaging, and transportation of biological evidence from the scene. The study’s findings make it abundantly evident that the average for each paragraph was greater than (3.57), demonstrating that PPA personnel working at the crime scene generally had sufficient experience handling forensic traces. However, preservation and collection of biological traces especially DNA sources from the crime scene were the lowest with a total averages of (3.40). While the searching and documentation of the crime scene section, and the packaging and transportation of the biological traces from the scene of the crime the total averages were (3.69) and (3.62) respectively.
In addition, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between the respondents regarding to the three working places, age, and ranks. This study recommending the decision makers in Palestine to pay attention to the technical procedures at the crime scene and employ a trained team that has sufficient knowledge and skills to deal with biological forensic traces at the crime scene. This study also recommends conducting deeper analytical studies to include all departments and entities working at crime scenes in all governorates in Palestine.