Dr Joannah Lee calls for enhanced forensic intelligence use in the Northern Territory

Enhancing forensic intelligence capabilities can help reduce crime in the Territory, says a local professor who is urging authorities to immediately embrace a scientific approach to finding criminals.

Charles Darwin University (CDU) Faculty of Science and Technology Adjunct Professor and Northern Territory Police (NTP) Chief Forensic Science Officer, Dr Joannah Lee is calling for forensic intelligence to be further leveraged. Picture: NT Police.

Enhancing forensic intelligence capabilities can help reduce crime in the Territory, says a local professor, who has co-authored a report urging authorities to immediately embrace a scientific approach to finding criminals.

In November, Charles Darwin University Faculty of Science and Technology Adjunct Professor Dr Joannah Lee released her report ‘Forensic intelligence in Australian and New Zealand: Status and future directions’, which called on jurisdictions to implement stronger forensic intelligence (FORINT) practices in a bid to prevent crime.

Using technical and forensic information, FORINT can assist police in identifying trends and linkages which helps authorities regain the initiative in their investigations.

Searching for associations buried within data, Dr Lee told the NT News FORINT can “illuminate” key information.

“For example, you might have an unknown DNA profile at one scene, the same DNA profile at a second scene and again at the a third scene” she said.

“However, at the third scene you find a separate fingerprint which is linked to a known person – from there, you can look for associates of that known person in trying to match the DNA profile.”

FORINT is more commonly used for court purposes as opposed to day-to-day police operations, says Dr Lee. Picture: Harry Brill

Also serving as the NT Police’s Chief Forensic Science Officer, Dr Lee said FORINT was primarily used in the Territory to “create a product” for court, rather than being used as a preventive practice in the field.

“We’re certainly not behind the pack (compared to other jurisdictions), there’s only a couple of agencies that have designated roles who are specifically tasked with FORINT,” she said.

“We do a considerable amount of FORINT work but it’s in a fairly informal way and we are still looking to improve our systems and software to enable us to function more effectively.”

Having worked with the AFP and NT Police for a combined 26 years, Dr Lee said there was “no reason” FORINT could not do more to combat crime in the Territory.

“When you look at other jurisdictions and countries that have managed to implement it, there does seem to be a real link between that prevention and disruption space,” she said.

“That’s a real powerful thing to able to provide the community.”

Enhancing FORINT will require the input of the education, industry and technology sector, says Dr Lee. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Asked what needed to be done for FORINT to feature more prominently in day-to-day police operations, Dr Lee the Territory was already “part way there”.

“What it will take is some additional procurement and some additional staffing, and in both those elements where we’re moving forward,” she said.

“(But) we need to get everyone to be pulling in the same direction, so it’s not just a forensic issue, it’s not just a law enforcement issue.

“We also need academia and educational institutions to support us, and we also need industry who develops this technology to be on board and for us all to be working together.”

Originally published as Dr Joannah Lee calls for enhanced forensic intelligence use in the Northern Territory