Thames Valley Police announce state-of-the-art forensics centre

Thames Valley Police (TVP) and the police and crime commissioner have revealed plans for a state-of-the-art forensics centre in Bicester.

The new building is a part of a wider improvement programme to transform forensic services across the force area.

The purpose-built centre will become the main forensics hub for the force, containing laboratories, new digital technologies and dedicated training facilities.

Plans were passed at a planning committee at Chewell District Council yesterday for the site on force-owned land near Avonbury Business Park on Howes Lane, subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement.

Police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber said: “The programme is the result of a review of Thames Valley Police’s forensics services as a whole where we’ve identified the need to modernise facilities and increase capacity.

“In a world of rapidly advancing technology, ensuring the police stay on the cutting edge of forensics is crucial to keeping the public safe.

“Whether crimes such as burglaries, sexual offences or digital crimes the police need to get ahead of the criminals."

He added: “In addition to the increased number of community police officers already announced as part of this year’s budget the significant investment in forensics, including the new centre at Bicester, will improve the speed and quality of investigations by those frontline officers across Thames Valley to help deliver justice for victims and ultimately help to cut crime.”

The Forensic Improvement Programme will see significant investment over the next three years to transform TVP’s forensic services, improving investigations and the outcomes for victims.

Construction is expected to begin in the summer 2023 and be completed in winter 2024/25.

TVP head of forensic services Kay Hannam said: “Forensic science can be the key to an investigation, in getting a case to court and delivering a timely outcome for the victim.

“This critical investment will support forensic services across the board from adopting new technologies, developing our people and ensuring legitimacy into the criminal justice system.

“Underpinning this programme of growth is our proposed new purpose built accommodation that will bring specialisms together under one roof. Here we will have the flexibility to expand our services to meet existing and future demand.

She added: “This will be particularly important in areas such as digital forensics where we are seeing significant increases in demand and complexity year on year."