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The progressive opening of forensic science toward criminological concerns

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Abstract

Technology is increasingly offering new means of human behavior traceability. This situation is challenging the standing, scope and role of forensic science in the criminal Justice System. At the same time, criminology is developing methodologies that encompass virtual worlds, and deal with the increasing quantity of accessible digital data reflecting criminal behaviors. Identifying how these concerns overlap begs the question: should we reconsider the articulation of many aspects of both forensic science and criminology? This article proposes a progressive and systematic modeling activity along five steps: (i) the expression of the investigative logic of forensic science; (ii) the use of theories in environmental criminology; (iii) a more systematic search for associations between traces and between crime situations; (iv) the search for studies in diverse areas of criminology that actually or potentially rely on forensic case data and (v) the suggestion of models and methods for framing the approach.

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Notes

  1. See for instance forensic projects suggested in the European framework for research called Horizon 2020, http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/ (accessed 22 April 2014).

  2. Be-Gen: Understanding the operational, strategic, and political implications of the National Genetic Database (www.law.ugent.be/ircp/sweetlemon/principals/belgian-science-policy-belspo, last accessed, 26 October 2014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School Of Criminal Justice, Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice, and Public Administration, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Olivier Ribaux & Olivier Delémont

  2. Forensic Science Research Group, Department Of Chemistry, Biochemistry And Physics, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada

    Frank Crispino

  3. Centre for Forensic Science, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Claude Roux

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  1. Olivier Ribaux
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  4. Claude Roux
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Ribaux, O., Crispino, F., Delémont, O. et al. The progressive opening of forensic science toward criminological concerns. Secur J 29, 543–560 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2015.29

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