Criminal investigation is an art of uncovering the truth for the purpose of
successful detection and prosecution. A successful and reliable investigation to
stand for the justice requires a competent investigator and the use of
technological aids from forensic and other scientific disciplines. This paper
investigates the common perception among the police officers at different
designation levels working in the Gamo region, SNNPR on the application of
forensic services in crime investigation.
The major objectives of this study are to a) Identify the level of awareness on
forensic service among the crime investigation officers and b) To identify the
lacunae in implementation of forensic services in crime investigation process.
The sample size of 70 police officers in all categories of Constable, SubInspector, Inspector, Deputy Commissioner in the Gama zonal region were
included as respondents of the study. A purposive sampling method was adopted
and structured questionnaire was used for the data collection. Statistical
interpolation of the results was done using SPSS software. This study identified
the lack of awareness among the police officers working in lower hierarchy level
(<50%) on various forensic services, specialized forensic divisions, and
application of forensic approaches during crime investigation. A positive
correlation was observed with respect to the designation of officers and the lack
of awareness among the police officers. Majority (<65%) of the police officers
were not aware of the existence of fingerprinting division in the country. There
exists a poor communication between key actors in the criminal justice system
and financial resources not directed at the front end of the forensic process. The
outcomes of this study would facilitate the identification of the lacunae in
implementation of forensic services in the crime investigation process. This study
emphasizes the need for immediate attention on managing the forensic illiteracy
among police officers, mainly on the field such as fingerprint analysis, criminal
investigation methods and cybercrime. It is the need of hour to promote the
establishment of forensic wing at Gamo zonal level law enforcement.