Relationship Between Deprivation and Forensic Material Recovered From Stolen Vehicles: Is It Affected by Vehicle Condition and Tidiness?

• NCJ Number: 234450
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 56 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2011 Pages: 510-513
• Author(s): Amy C. Shuttlewood, M.Sc.; John W. Bond, D.Phil.; Lisa L. Smith, M.Sc.
• Date Published: March 2011
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Previous research has shown that as crime scene location deprivation increases (lower socioeconomic status), the recovery of forensic material, principally DNA and fingerprints, also increases. However, this increase does not result in more crimes being solved by forensic means.

Abstract

This study analyzes stolen vehicle data and finds a statistically significant positive association between deprivation and the amount of forensic material that matched either the victim or an associate of the victim on a criminal database. The nature of this association was investigated further by inspecting recovered stolen vehicles to establish whether the condition of a stolen vehicle and the tidiness of its interior influenced the recovery of forensic material that was attributed to the victim or an associate. Contradictory results suggest that other factors may contribute to understanding the association between the recovery of victim- or associate-attributable forensic material and crime scene location deprivation. (Published Abstract)