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What are Wiltshire Police's procedures for archiving DNA samples and retrieving samples from past cases?

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Dear Wiltshire Constabulary,

I have been advised by the Force Disclosure Unit to submit this 'new' request:

What are Wiltshire Police's procedures for archiving DNA samples and retrieving samples from past cases?

following my request 'What are Wiltshire Police's procedures for storing and transporting DNA?'.

Yours faithfully,

Esther Turner

Force Disclosure Unit,

Dear Esther,

Our Ref: FOI 2022/071

Thank you for your request for information dated 21st January 2022 concerning Wiltshire Police's procedures for archiving DNA samples and retrieving samples from past cases.  Your request will be considered under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act, subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.  In some circumstances Wiltshire Police may be unable to achieve this deadline.  If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

Although every effort will be made to ensure a response is provided within statutory deadlines, due to current circumstances delays may be unavoidable.  We apologise for any inconvenience and will endeavour to process your request as quickly as is practicable.

There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of the information you request.  If this is the case you will be informed and the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we receive payment from you.  If you chose not to make a payment then your request will remain unanswered.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest possible way.  Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

Please note that we now publish all our Freedom of Information responses on our website under a disclosure log. This can be assessed here: https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/rqo/requ... you are looking for a specific topic that might have already been answered.

Kind regards,
Force Disclosure Unit
Wiltshire Police Headquarters
London Road
Devizes
SN10 2DN

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Johnson, Emma,

Good afternoon Esther,

Thank you for your FOI request. Please can I advise that due to an administrative error, there will be a delay in receiving your response. I am sorry if this causes you any inconvenience. The team member is now processing your request.

Kind Regards
Emma Johnson
Force Disclosure Unit (FDU)
IM & A Workflow Coordinator
All members of the Force Disclosure Unit are working from home for the foreseeable future. Where possible, please send all correspondence via email to enable timely responses.
Force Disclosure Unit
Wiltshire Police
www.wiltshire.police.uk
[email address]

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Tenniswood, Jack,

2 Attachments

Good afternoon,

 

Please find attached our response to your FOI.

 

Apologies for the small delay, there was a hiccup in tasking.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jack Tenniswood

FDU Decision Maker

Wiltshire Police HQ, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN.

Tel : 01722 547032

E-mail: [1][email address]

Web:    [2]www.wiltshire.police.uk

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.wiltshire.police.uk/

Dear Tenniswood, Jack,

Thanks for the response but this does not answer the questions.

You mention the Custody Sampling Team passing on the DNA 'sample' to a forensic lab and the NDNAD being updated but then what? If, for example, slides or tapings of potential DNA evidence (e.g. from clothing) were sent to the forensic lab, what happens to those slides/tapings after analysis? They surely should be archived somewhere but in a previous FOI response, Wiltshire Police said that they "do not use the Archive" (the FAL in Birmingham).

If, in future, perhaps with advances in DNA technology, the samples are required for a cold case review, and Wiltshire Police decides to have the samples re-analysed, where are those samples and how does WP go about retrieving them?

Yours sincerely,

Esther Turner

Tenniswood, Jack,

Hi Esther,

I have sent your below questions to the forensic team. They should hopefully answer it as soon as they return on Monday.

Kind regards,

Jack Tenniswood
FDU Decision Maker
Wiltshire Police HQ, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN.
Tel : 01722 547032
E-mail: [email address]
Web:    www.wiltshire.police.uk

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Tenniswood, Jack,

Hi Esther,

I have once again discussed this with our forensic teams and they have outlined the below;-

When someone talks about DNA on its own - they usually refer to PACE rather than an exhibit that has been seized for a DNA examination.

PACE and Elimination samples - once they have been examined and a profile derived - there is nothing left to retain. The profile is the end product taken from the swabs and so there is nothing left to store.

I have already stated that the FAL in Birmingham holds all exhibits that were previously stored at the FSS (Forensic Science Service) before its closure, any exhibits here have not been archived by Wiltshire they belonged to the FSS.

It would seem that the applicant is talking about general exhibits that may be examined for DNA - not actual DNA. Therefore Wiltshire keeps any exhibits they retain in their SPR stores (Special Property). Special property are in Wiltshire Police Locations - not an archive.

Could you confirm that the last sentences are what you are after? As I am under the belief there has been some crossed wires, as myself and my collegues were under the understanding that you wanted pure DNA PACE samples.

Kind regards,

Jack

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Dear Tenniswood, Jack,

Don't forget that it was Wiltshire Police that suggested I make this FOI request in the first place. I think your response needs to be clearer. In the first place, the original response, and the latest, mention PACE and Elimination samples without defining what these terms mean. That is the first issue.

The second is that your response states "the FAL in Birmingham holds all exhibits that were previously stored at the FSS (Forensic Science Service) before its closure, any exhibits here have not been archived by Wiltshire they belonged to the FSS". But the FAL started life in 2012; what has happened to 'exhibits' (as you say) since this time? You seem to imply that they are stored in Wiltshire Police Special Property 'locations'. But why? Are these locations as tightly controlled as a formal archive would be in terms of registration (paperwork etc), security and storage conditions (temperature, humidity)? The system you outline appears to be fragmented - why is the government archive not being used for all exhibits?

Then, once you have the evidence obtained from the exhibits (e.g. in the form of slides or tapings (from clothing) presumably to enable analysis by a forensic lab), possibly the 'actual DNA' (as you say), what happens to these items? Are these the 'pure DNA PACE samples' (whatever that may mean) of your last sentence?

Yours sincerely,

Esther Turner

Dear Tenniswood, Jack,

Are you yet in a position to respond to my communication of 4th March 2022?

Yours sincerely,

Esther Turner

Tenniswood, Jack,

Hi Esther,

My responses previously were my attempt to understand what exactly you were requesting, and was taken out of the act. I was not under the impression you were making another FOI, but simply trying to breakdown the response given by the force.

If you would like to put in another FOI then we can process this as per the act.

Kind regards,

Jack Tenniswood
FDU Decision Maker
Wiltshire Police HQ, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN.
Tel : 01722 547032
E-mail: [email address]
Web:    www.wiltshire.police.uk

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Dear Tenniswood, Jack,

My questions all relate to the subject of this FOI request. Allow me to clarify:

1. What are PACE and Elimination samples to which you refer in your previous response? An explanation of these terms is required.
2. Where are 'exhibits' (your term - and I suppose that here, we both mean clothing and other such things) from current/recent cases now stored? If not at FAL, then where?
3. If DNA is obtained from exhibits and 'recorded' onto slides or tapings, where are these slides/tapings stored/archived? If not at FAL, then where?

These questions all relate to the original request vis 'What are Wiltshire Police's procedures for archiving DNA samples and retrieving samples from past cases?'

Yours sincerely,

Esther Turner

Tenniswood, Jack,

2 Attachments

Good Morning,

 

Please find attached our response to your FOI.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jack Tenniswood

FDU Decision Maker

Wiltshire Police HQ, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 2DN.

Tel : 01722 547032

E-mail: [1][email address]

Web:    [2]www.wiltshire.police.uk

 

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.wiltshire.police.uk/

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Esther Turner please sign in and let everyone know.