Should forensic science services be Independent of policing? : a critical reflection

The organisational arrangements that connect forensic science and police organisations vary across different countries. At an institutional and governance level, a key debate in the international context has been, and continues to be, the extent to which forensic services should, or should not, be located within police departments. This comment will adopt a historical and comparative perspective to critically identify, and address, the key issues in this debate. It concludes that both policing and forensic science need to move to adopt the characteristics of a profession in order to establish an improved basis for professional interaction that is based on shared core values.