NT Police Forensics Sciences Branch gets more staff, technology in major investment

A boost to the Territory’s forensics unit will see fewer offenders on the streets as evidence gets picked up faster. See the video.

More manpower and shiny new tools in the NT’s forensics unit will see fewer “criminals on the street” and boost public safety.

The NT Police Forensics Sciences Branch will partner with Charles Darwin University researchers to bring a scanning electron microscope into the suite of technology cops use to track down offenders.

The branch has also been given an additional $25 million to employee 12 new staff, six of whom will be sworn police officers.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler examines new NT Police Forensics Science Branch technology.

Chief Forensic Science Officer Joannah Lee said the new staff and technology would allow her team to identify people of interest faster thanks to rapid DNA identification.

“We unfortunately do have backlogs across most of our areas,” Dr Lee said.

“That means that the time that it takes us currently to provide results to the courts can be extended – additional resources will mean that can be completed much faster.”

CDU Director of Research and Innovation Karen Cavenagh said the partnership between police and the uni would enable the use of a scanning electron microscope.

The microscope can magnify objects up to 200,000 times the capabilities of the human eye.

“The topical example in the Northern Territory would be comparing glass panels on a suspect with glass from a break-in,” Dr Cavenagh said.

“It can also be utilised for gunshot residue and a number of other trace elements.”

Police Minister Brent Potter said the investment would remove the requirement for some testing to be sent interstate, therefore speeding up the process.

It comes after NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage on Thursday handed down her findings into the suicide death of a 13-year-old girl in 2022.

Ms Armitage said NT Police told her predecessor the force had commissioned an independent review of its crime scene, fingerprints and firearms units in 2018.

But she believed “any improvements that were achieved have been lost”.

“I too am asked to be reassured that an agency wide review of police which was commenced by the NT government in 2023 will specifically report on forensic capabilities, identify gaps and future priorities,” Ms Armitage said.

“Even with that assurance, I am concerned that reviews achieve nothing without implementation and steadfast commitment (even in spite of new competing priorities).

“However, I am told and accept that since Grace’s passing action has been taken to improve capability concerning the investigation of firearms incidents.”

Originally published as NT Police Forensics Sciences Branch gets more staff, technology in major investment