Pupils Try Their Hand at Crime Scene Investigation in Police Visit
Year 6 pupils from Blaencaerau Primary School became mini Crime Scene Investigators on Wednesday 3rd June when they visited South Wales Police Headquarters as a reward for good behaviour.
Dressed head to toe in the white boiler suits and masks made famous by the ever-growing CSI dramas on our small screens, 23 pupils aged 10-11 learnt how to lift finger prints from crime scene surfaces in the brand new Scientific Support Unit at Police Headquarters. The pupils were also shown how to capture foot prints from a variety of surfaces such as concrete and sand, as well as learning about the use of CCTV footage in court cases.
During the tour, pupils were shown the state of the art specialist equipment used by officers during their investigations, including 100x magnification ‘Micro-viper’ software, and a machine which lifts fingerprints from metal objects – worth £175,000.
The tour was organised by Caerau Neighbourhood Policing Team, who visited Waterton Cross with the children earlier in the day so they could meet the police dogs and horses. As PC Sharon Hier described her responsibilities as a mounted officer, the lucky pupils had the opportunity to train the newest police horse recruit Samson in the school riding area by waving football flags and using chanting and clapping commands.
The children also watched a demonstration with one of the force’s dogs, Duke, as he chased down and caught PC Alan Russ after instruction from his handler, PC Mark Raybould.
The pupil’s teacher, Mrs Deborah Todd, also attended the visit. She said: “The children were really impressed by the tour and a lovely day was had by all.”
Caerau Beat Manager PC Steve Bowen said: “We’re pleased the children had such a great day, and we hope it will inspire them to think of the police service as a potential career in the future.”