forensic-register

The forensic-register was developed to meet the accreditation requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and the Supplementary Requirements for Accreditation in Field of Forensic Sciences. It allows for the collection of all forensic case, evidence, examinations and reviews, including digital images, files and diagrams, into a single case file record. It includes monitoring and management of workflow through a range of highly effective reporting, performance and quality assurance aids.

Police agencies using the forensic-register can:

• Collect all forensic information in one system, incorporating cases, evidence, examinations and scientific information and including multimedia elements such as digital images and diagrams.
• Perform remote data entry, providing a ‘paperless’ case file solution at the scene of crime.
• Receive automated and expert-reviewed fingerprint matches in minutes and hours, rather than weeks and months.
• Manage all exhibits through barcodes or other tags, shared across all forensic disciplines and interdepartmental laboratories. This eliminates repetitive data entry and supports real time reporting of forensic examinations, identifications and subsequent forensic intelligence reporting and charting.
• Monitor and manage the flow or work through a range of highly effective reporting, performance and quality assurance aids.

Testing laboratories using the forensic-register can:

• Manage and track the analysis of biological and chemical samples through their full lifecycle with paperless record-keeping, including all samples and sub-samples.
• Use highly efficient batch workflows with electronic interfaces to control and obtain results from lab test equipment.
• Seamlessly share information with police forensics, with strong security mechanisms ensuring appropriate privacy and integrity for both parties.
• Match DNA profiles against local and national databases direct from the forensic-register screens.

The forensic-register has been instrumental in removing backlogs and delivering world-leading turnaround times in Queensland, averaging less than 48 hours for fingerprints and less than two weeks for DNA results. These initiatives have received State and National Public Sector award recognition.

The forensic-register integrates seamlessly with several key national and local systems:

• National Criminal Investigation DNA Database (NCIDD)
• National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) – for rapid suspect identification, and
• NicheRMS – integration for the full reporting and investigation lifecycle, with transfers of property/exhibit information, forensic requests and results

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