The use of forensic marking products in domestic abuse cases

• In Event: The challenges and opportunities of using experimental approaches to inform VAWG policy in the UK

Abstract

‘Forensic marking’, using products such as SmartWater which is invisible to the eye but shows up under UV light, has traditionally been used as a deterrent and investigation tool in cases of burglary. Recently, its use has been expanded to other forms of crime including domestic violence and abuse. Victims of domestic violence and abuse who are no longer living with the suspect are offered a handheld ‘spray canister’ and/or forensic gel which is placed on key points of access to their property (walls, gates, window ledges etc.).

In this paper we will describe how forensic marking is being used across the five English police forces in our research and describe the matched cases trial that we have ongoing. In particular, we will describe the challenges and opportunities faced with using propensity score matching using police data. We outline the reasons why a randomised control trial was not used and propose that propensity score matching offers a high-quality alternative where opportunities for randomised control trials are limited.

Authors

• Nicole Westmarland, Durham University Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse

• Alishya Dhir, The Police Foundation

• Rachel Oughton, Durham University

• Rosie Erol, College of Policing

• Amber Meakins, College of Policing

• Andy Myhill, College of Policing

• Pele Petnga-Wallace, College of Policing