Victoria Police Museum
Victoria Police Museum is located in 637 Flinders Street, Melbourne Victoria 3008. This is where you can visit to gain more knowledge about some of the forensic techniques and famous crimes.
Some of the forensic techniques:
1. Fingerprinting:
- Every single person has a unique fingerprint (even identical twins develop different patterns on fingerprints inside the womb). Back in time, they recorded fingerprints by putting 5 fingers on ink and put them on a piece of paper ad rolling the fingers on the paper as well. Now they have a digital machine to record the fingerprint of each person.
- Fingerprint is a mark left on an object when a person has touched it with their hand. A unique pattern from their fingerprint is left and there is no 2 people have the same fingerprint, forensic scientists are able to trace the fingerprints to find who was involved in the crime.
- The natural oils in the skin cause the fingerprints to be left behind when we touch things. The skin's sebaceous glands produce natural oils together with the salt produces by our sweat glands, leave a fingerprint residue when we touch most objects.
- There are 3 main patterns of fingerprints: loop, whorl and arches.
Some of the forensic techniques:
1. Fingerprinting:
- Every single person has a unique fingerprint (even identical twins develop different patterns on fingerprints inside the womb). Back in time, they recorded fingerprints by putting 5 fingers on ink and put them on a piece of paper ad rolling the fingers on the paper as well. Now they have a digital machine to record the fingerprint of each person.
- Fingerprint is a mark left on an object when a person has touched it with their hand. A unique pattern from their fingerprint is left and there is no 2 people have the same fingerprint, forensic scientists are able to trace the fingerprints to find who was involved in the crime.
- The natural oils in the skin cause the fingerprints to be left behind when we touch things. The skin's sebaceous glands produce natural oils together with the salt produces by our sweat glands, leave a fingerprint residue when we touch most objects.
- There are 3 main patterns of fingerprints: loop, whorl and arches.
- Fingerprints play a vital role at crime scenes. They help the police to investigate the crime scenes. People who study fingerprints are called dactyloscopists.
- In a crime scene, fingerprints can be obtained with powder:
+ If the fingerprints are left on a dark surface, talcum powder is used.
+ If the fingerprints are left on a white surface, granite powder is used.
The powder will stick to the thingies on the fingerprints and reveal fingerprints. Then a piece of sticky tape will be used to collect the fingerprints.
2. DNA: DNA is the unique things for every people (except for identical twins). Forensic scientists can examine the DNA that is found at the crime scene by various ways and techniques to identify the crime.
3. Ballistics: On the barrel of the gun, there are little thingies that create marks on the bullets every time they shot out the gun. So the bullet keeps spinning and it goes exactly where it was aimed. The bullet was able to spread out once it is shot out of the gun.
Famous crime: 2 policemen were shot by a man in Lower Templestowe (Victoria). Forensic evidences were found such as Blood Splatters and Ballistics. However, at the court, his girlfriend stated that he was with her at the night that the crime took place. Therefore, there was not enough evidences to prove that he had committed murder and the case was dropped.
- In a crime scene, fingerprints can be obtained with powder:
+ If the fingerprints are left on a dark surface, talcum powder is used.
+ If the fingerprints are left on a white surface, granite powder is used.
The powder will stick to the thingies on the fingerprints and reveal fingerprints. Then a piece of sticky tape will be used to collect the fingerprints.
2. DNA: DNA is the unique things for every people (except for identical twins). Forensic scientists can examine the DNA that is found at the crime scene by various ways and techniques to identify the crime.
3. Ballistics: On the barrel of the gun, there are little thingies that create marks on the bullets every time they shot out the gun. So the bullet keeps spinning and it goes exactly where it was aimed. The bullet was able to spread out once it is shot out of the gun.
Famous crime: 2 policemen were shot by a man in Lower Templestowe (Victoria). Forensic evidences were found such as Blood Splatters and Ballistics. However, at the court, his girlfriend stated that he was with her at the night that the crime took place. Therefore, there was not enough evidences to prove that he had committed murder and the case was dropped.
4. Hair and fibres: Hair and fibres are also forensic evidences.
Famous crime: Mr and Mrs Thron won the lottery and their son - Graerne Thron was kidnapped. The crime strangled him and wrapped Graerne's body in a blanket with different hairs and fibres. By using that forensic evidence, the police can solve the crime scene and identify the murder.
5. Trauma: There are 3 different kinds of trauma:
- Blunt - force trauma: It can cause by a bat.
- Sharp - force trauma: It can cause by a knife.
- Gunshot.
6. Different types of forensic scientists: autopsy, orthodontist, entomology...
- Autopsy: After death has occurred, if the reason for death was not clear enough, the victim's body need to be cut open and carefully examined. The person who do this job is called autopsy.
- Orthodontist: is the person use a mould to get the shape of the teeth of a person. Teeth are the hardest part in our body, even harder than bones. The teeth will be collected and it is used to figure out who is the victim or who has been at the crime scene.
- Entomology: is the person who investigates the amount of bacteria in the body. Therefore, they can figure out how many days the body has been decomposed or when did the death occur.