40 police officers seek to become Scene investigators

By Our Reporter

23^rd Feb 2024

Forty-eight police officers have applied to be re-graded to the Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS) to serve as Scene of Crime Officers (SOCOs).

SOCOs are police officers trained in scene preservation, evidence collection, exhibit packaging, exhibit transportation, and exhibit storage.

In an invitation written by the Acting Director of the Directorate of Forensic Science Andrew Mubiru, the 48 police officers will undergo three days of personal review exercise which started on Thursday purposely to assess their forensic abilities before they are recruited and taken for more training.

Out of the 48 applicants, three are at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), one is at the rank of Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP), one Sergeant (SGT), one Corporal (CPL) while 42 are Police Constables.

Most of the applicants have certificates and diplomas in science-related cases and have been serving in police health services or under criminal investigations departments.

The directorate a year ago expressed the need for at least 2,640 forensic experts including SOCOs and exhibits analysts to implement the Sub County based policing model suggested by President Yoweri Museveni in 2019.

Museveni said it is easier and cheaper to station enough police officers at the Sub County so that they are in a position to respond to security emergencies in sufficient numbers and required equipment as opposed to clustering them in small police posts and booths.

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