The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has recommended that governments should develop and provide information technology training in forensic, crime and disaster scene investigations.
At the just ended 113th Annual conference in Boston, USA the IACP recognized that the collection of evidence and trace evidence from crime, terrorism and other disaster scenes is hindered by a lack of training for police departments.
The IACP conference, which was attended by amongst others the Commissioner of Police Edwin Batshu acknowledged that the current training for technical crime scene and disaster scene investigation for the documentation, identification of trace and other evidence and protocols vary in availability, reliability and affordability.
The police chiefs underscored, however, that forensic evidence is a crucial element in the identification and prosecution of violent and/or recidivist criminals including those who commit serial crimes, terrorist incidents, human rights violations and hate crimes that are a threat to the security of all people.
IACP also recommended that all crime laboratories and other forensic service providers should strive to become accredited and that the forensic practitioners who work in those laboratories or other forensic entities should seek certification in their forensic disciplines.
The conference further recommended that the accreditation and certification be acquired from professionally recognized and accepted organizations, which are independent from the agency or person seeking accreditation/certification.
Another recommendation calls for the national legislatures, Internet Services Providers and telecommunications providers to develop an appropriate data retention mandate.
This would require the retention of customer subscriber information and source and destination information for a minimum specified reasonable period of time so that is will be available to the law enforcement community upon an applicable legal process.
The police chiefs resolve that such data retention mandate would enhance public safety and prevent, deter or detect terrorist and criminals through the ability to investigate offences facilitated by the use of the Internet and telephony.
At the same conference, the Commissioner of Botswana Police Services held meetings with the Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre, Mrs Connie Patric together with her deputy Mr Kenneth Keeno and agreed on a number of bilateral issues.
The Commissioner, who was accompanied by the Managing Director of the International Law Enforcement Academy Mr. Kruger returned home on this past Saturday.
