Forensic Science Service (FSS)
The Forensic Science Service (FSS) was an influential organization established in April 1991 to coordinate forensic science services in England and Wales. It gained prominence as a leading provider of forensic analysis, known for its innovative contributions to forensic technology, particularly in DNA analysis. The roots of forensic science in the UK can be traced back to the late 1920s, with early efforts led by figures like Sergeant Cyril Cuthbert, who conducted basic evidence analyses. Over the decades, the field evolved significantly, culminating in the creation of the first Metropolitan Police Laboratory in 1935.
By 1991, the FSS became an executive agency of the Home Office, allowing it to offer paid services to both domestic and international clients. The agency made strides in developing the world’s first national criminal intelligence DNA database in 1995, enhancing the investigative capabilities across various crime types. At its peak, the FSS operated multiple facilities and employed over 2,500 staff, providing analysis for a wide range of cases, including violent crimes and drug-related offenses. However, due to financial challenges, the FSS closed in 2012, with its responsibilities largely transferred to the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory and private forensic firms. The legacy of the FSS continues to influence forensic practices and technologies today.
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Subject Terms
Forensic Science Service (FSS)
DATE: Formed in April, 1991
IDENTIFICATION: Organization established to coordinate forensic science services in England and Wales.
SIGNIFICANCE: The Forensic Science Service was one of the world’s leading providers of forensic science analyses. Prior its closure in 2012, the organization earned an international reputation as an innovator in forensic technology.
During the late 1920s, detectives of London’s Metropolitan had two avenues for assistance with the scientific analysis of evidence: They could rely on help from consulting experts or seek out Sergeant Cyril Cuthbert, a forensic science enthusiast. Using a secondhand microscope and primitive equipment, Cuthbert offered basic analyses of bloodstains and other evidence.
The first Metropolitan Police Laboratory opened at Hendon Police College in the spring of 1935. The small facility’s staff consisted of a pathologist, a chemist, Cuthbert as police liaison officer, a technician, a clerk, and a cleaner. Within a few years, the lab’s duties included analyses of blood and stains, identification of poisons, tool-mark examination, forensic firearm identification, and investigation of explosives.
During the late 1930s, local police forces in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham, and other locations established their own forensic laboratories. The Home Office, the government department in the United Kingdom that leads efforts to protect the public from crime, gradually brought the regional labs under its control, and the Home Office Service was born.
In 1991, the Forensic Science Service (FSS) became an executive agency of the Home Office. As an agency, the FSS could charge for services provided to any British customer and overseas clients. The FSS pioneered forensic technology, especially in the area of (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis. In April, 1995, the agency launched the world’s first national criminal intelligence DNA database. The National DNA Database enables investigators to run searches for matches to DNA samples from crime scenes.
Beginning in 1999, the FSS began another change when it transformed from a government agency to a business organization legally separate from the government. Today, the Forensic Science Service is the trading name of Forensic Science Service Ltd., a British government-owned company. The Home Office anticipated that an independently run FSS could compete more effectively against commercial forensic service companies.
At its peak, the FSS had eleven facilities in England and Wales and a staff of more than twenty-five hundred, serving a variety of clients in both criminal and civil matters. The services of the FSS included analyses of from crimes of bodily injury, property crimes, vehicular accidents, computer crimes and fraud, crimes involving illegal drugs, and terrorism. The FSS also helped overseas governments to establish or enhance their own forensic laboratories.
The FSS closed in 2012 due to financial losses. Much of the work handled by the FSS was picked up by London’s Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory. Other cases went to private forensics laboratories.
Bibliography
Fido, Martin, and Keith Skinner. The Official Encyclopedia of Scotland Yard. London: Virgin Books, 1999.
“Forensic Science Service.” Greater London Authority, 19 Nov. 2020, www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/forensic-science-service. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024.
Walls, H. J. “The Forensic Science Service in Great Britain: A Short History.” Journal of the Forensic Science Society 16 (October, 1976): 273-278.
White, Peter, ed. Crime Scene to Court: The Essentials of Forensic Science. 2d ed. Cambridge, England: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2004.