title: The Effectiveness of Trace DNA Profiling-A Comparison Between a U.S. and a U.K. Law Enforcement Jurisdiction.
abstract: Recovery, profiling, and speculative searching of trace DNA (not attributable to a body fluid/cell type) over a twelve-month period in a U.S. Crime Laboratory and U.K. police force are compared. Results show greater numbers of U.S. firearm-related items submitted for analysis compared with the U.K., where greatest numbers were submitted from burglary or vehicle offenses. U.S. multiple recovery techniques (double swabbing) occurred mainly during laboratory examination, whereas the majority of U.K. multiple recovery techniques occurred at the scene. No statistical difference was observed for useful profiles from single or multiple recovery. Database loading of interpretable profiles was most successful for U.K. items related to burglary or vehicle offenses. Database associations (matches) represented 7.0% of all U.S. items and 13.1% of all U.K. items. The U.K. strategy for burglary and vehicle examination demonstrated that careful selection of both items and sampling techniques is crucial to obtaining the observed results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminology, University of Leicester, 154 Upper New Walk, Leicester, LE1 7QA, U.K.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.affiliation: Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory, 250 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA, 95110.
authors.forename: Jocelyn R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Weart
mesh_terms: D003415:Crime; D004247:DNA / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D016495:Police; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: adhesive tape sampling; evidence collection; forensic science; offender hit; swab sampling; trace DNA