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Roles of
the Police Surgeon:
- Expert
witnesses in their field who are qualified and accepted
by the legal system and the courts
- Available
to be called by both the prosecution and the defence
- Teachers
at the universities or examiners in the diploma
examination
- Treatment
of minor illness in police stations
- Investigators
in murder scenes
- Dealing
with problem cases of alcohol abuse, drunk driving,
drug addiction, mental health assessment, sexual
offenses, death investigation, child abuse and hostage
taking
- Arranging
for the placement of the mentally ill whose behavior
in a street or public place such as a supermarket
may be reprehensible, but not criminal (requires
a medical officer to put through whatever provisions
that are required for detention in a hospital under
mental health legislation).
- Coordination
of sexual offences that require routine sexual assault
examinations, collection of body fluids, trace evidence
and fiber collection (Doney, 1984, p. 186).
Clinical
forensic practice is based on the role of the police
surgeon in the United Kingdom (Lynch, 1993, p.8).
In countries
where police surgeon's exist, such medical officers
are contracted by and paid by police authorities to
provide round the clock services when problems arise
which require medical expertise to resolve them (Doney,
1984, p. 185).
Since they
are neither policeman or surgeon the name is somewhat
of a misnomer and the term "clinical forensic
medicine" is therefore a more apt description
of their work (Doney, 1984, p. 185).
Clinical
forensic medicine is the type of work carried out
by medical officers employed by law enforcement authorities
for on the spot medical advice and forensic opinions
(Doney, 1984, p. 185).
Clinical
forensic medicine is practiced throughout the United
Kingdom by police surgeons (Doney, 1984, p. 186).
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Traditionally police forces have retained several
police surgeons, who have usually been general practitioners
working part time and paid through item of service
fees. Inherent difficulties in managing the budget
for forensic medical services, which is essentially
open ended and demand led, caused the Audit Commission
to suggest that police forces might consider purchasing
services under a single, or several large, block or
cost and volume contracts.3 Possible providers were
envisaged as being NHS trusts, universities, primary
care organisations, or consortiums set up by doctors.
The recent decision by the West Midlands and Yorkshire
police forces to offer their contracts for police
surgeons to private companies seems at odds with this
proposed strategy (Norfolk & Stark, 1999).
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Topic
E - Forensic (ER) Emergency > Section E.2.0. Forensic Roles>
Unit.E.2.1. Police Surgeon
Australia
Canada 
International
United Kingdom
United States
