Cayman police are calling for the creation of their own DNA and ballistics laboratories.
Cayman lacks many basic facilities for analysing crime scenes and evidence, meaning detectives must send DNA, urine, semen and even weapons overseas, incurring investigative delays and risking the contamination or compromise of vital data.
‘I will strongly support and ask for these facilities in the country, particularly with what has happened in the last 12 months,’ said detective Chief Superintendent Derek Haines.
He said government had expressed support for creation of the labs, but that policymakers balanced investigative demands and budget pressures.
‘You’ve got to get the equipment and the scientists to run the facilities,’ he said. ‘It’s expensive and we are a small country.’
Head of the RCIP Criminal Investigation Division, Superintendent Ken Hall, said he frequently had to delay investigations and arrests, waiting for results from overseas laboratories.
‘Material in the FBI lab and ballistics can take from six weeks to three months, and for DNA it’s even lengthier, sometimes as much as six months,’ he said.
CID had to ship all its recent seizures of guns, ammunition and bullet proof vests to US and UK forensic units for analysis.
Police say they hope to complete feasibility studies within 12 months for creation of Cayman’s own labs.
Despite having a first-rate fingerprint lab and top facilities for drug analysis, ongoing hurricane repairs are forcing police to send drug samples to Nassau.
Bahamian labs are efficient and relatively inexpensive, but moving evidence across borders creates its own problems.
‘We ship material to Barbados, which is the centre for the Caribbean, and state-of-the-art, but you have to look at the difficulties with homeland security of moving exhibits through boundaries and the pressure on integrity,’ Mr. Haines said.
‘What happens when you go to Grand Court and the defense says, ‘Ah … well … who carried this, what procedures were followed?”
Laboratory work is often the difference between conviction and acquittal.
‘DNA and ballistics are absolutely paramount to detection,’ Mr. Haines said.
‘If you have them on the island, it takes a fraction of the time and completely eliminates the risk of contamination.
‘When it comes to witnesses, their integrity can come into question. They are usually not independent, usually connected to the crime or the scene somehow.
‘But with forensic evidence, when that scientist gets into the (witness) box, there is no arguing with it. You don’t need anyone else. A fingerprint is a fingerprint,’ he said.
Demand growing
As technology advances, the demand for DNA testing grows. Even the best police work in the world needs scientific support, Mr. Haines said.
‘The crisis in Cayman makes it absolutely necessary to have DNA testing here,’ he said. ‘We have been under a lot of pressure on the crimes recently committed. Our officers are very professional, very dedicated, and they need forensic help.’
Government pathologist David Shrudel says Cayman can handle some aspects of forensics, including toxicology, gasoline evidence, acid restoration, projectile ranging, the initial phases of processing sexual assaults and, with the final installation of benches and countertops, full drug analysis.
Previously, he said, Cayman had little need for ballistics, but police, the Attorney-General’s office and Health Services had been seeking DNA facilities for almost six years.
‘One of the advantages of waiting as long as we have, though is that the equipment is easier to use and cheaper.
‘You can get a machine for $70,000, although you could spend up to $200,000 depending on what you want,’ he said.
A forensic specialist costs upwards of $60,000 per year, while maintenance and operating costs were modest, Mr. Shrudel said.
A ballistics laboratory could be built for as little as $15,000, although costs mount as the complexity of analysis grows.
Bullet and tool matching, for example, require sophisticated microscopes that each cost between $10,000 and $15,000.
The construction and commissioning of a DNA lab can take from six months to one year, requiring a validation period in which equipment tested and a population database is created.
A ballistics facility would not take as long, while equipment such as a firing tank can be built on site.
He said government had recognised the need for the laboratories, and was moving ahead with plans, but he declined to predict when the facilities might finally open.
‘This is not new or something being done in reaction,’ Mr. Shrudel said. ‘We have been working towards it for some time, and things are developing.’
Mr. Haines closed with a plea:
‘There is a need for a DNA lab on the island. There are so many crimes that can be solved with DNA.
‘In an increasingly scientific and technical world, you need this on the ground. The level of proof regularly required by the courts is very high, and forensic science supplies us with this kind of evidence.’
Related Videos
