Scent lineups compared across eleven countries: Looking for the future of a controversial forensic technique. (September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ferry, Barbara; Ensminger, John J.; Schoon, Adee; Bobrovskij, Zbignev; Cant, David; Gawkowski, Maciej; Hormila, IIlkka; Kos, Pavel; Less, Ferenc; Rodionova, Elena; Sulimov, Klim T.; Woidtke, Leif; Jezierski, Tadeusz
• Is Part Of: Forensic science international. Volume 302(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-09
• Subjects: Scent lineup -- Human identification -- Methodological differences -- Trained canines; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Forensic -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine légale -- Périodiques; Chimie légale -- Périodiques; Gerechtelijke geneeskunde; Gerechtelijke chemie; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; Chemistry, Forensic; Medical jurisprudence; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 614.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.109895
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0379-0738

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Using dogs to identify perpetrators with scent lineup procedures in 11 countries. Countries often overlap in control trials, similarities of decoy scents, materials holding scent. Greater disparity in degrees of blindness, who calls alerts, and dogs per handler. Some countries adhered more closely to scientific recommendations and results. More cooperation may resuscitate the scent lineup forensic technique. Abstract: A scent lineup is generally a procedure whereby a dog's alerting behavior is used to establish that the dog detects two scents, one from a crime scene and one from a suspect, as deriving from the same person. The aim of this article is to compare methodologies of using dogs in scent lineups as a means of identifying perpetrators of crimes. It is hoped that this comparative approach, looking at countries where the method is currently or has in the past been used, will help determine what issues should be addressed in order to assure that the scent lineup will have a future as a forensic technique. Participants from eleven countries—Belgium, The Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and the U.S.—completed a survey questionnaire regarding key aspects of the scent lineup procedures used by the police in their countries. Although there was broad overlap on certain matters, such as the use of control and zero trials, collection of decoy scents from individuals of similar gender and race as the suspect, materials for holding scent, frequency of cleaning and changing stations, and use and timing of rewards, there were significant differences in the degree of blindness required, who calls an alert (handler or experimenter), and whether handlers can work with more than one dog. The gap between recommendations and results available from the scientific literature and procedures used in police practice was greater for some countries than others, even taking into account that some scientific methodologies might be expensive or impractical given agency resources. The authors make recommendations about how to go forward if scent lineups are to remain a valid forensic technique.