Forensics programme takes centre stage

The real-life and fictitious of forensics came together as part of Glasgow Caledonian’s launch of Taggart: The Peoples Archive.

The team which delivers the University’s BSc (hons) Forensic Investigation was tasked with creating a mock crime scene for the event, which encouraged members of the public to come forward with stories of any role they played in the success of one of the world’s longest-running police dramas.

Hosted in the Sir Alex Ferguson Library, the team was tasked with organising a scene that could fit in a small space but was detailed enough to intrigue visitors. Notably, it included fingerprints, fibres on the victim’s clothing and a mismatch between the number of gun cartridges left at the scene and the number of gunshot wounds on the body, which was played by Frank, the crime-scene mannequin.

Dr Kaitlin Ramsay, Programme Leader of BSc (hons) Forensic Investigation, said her team worked with colleagues from various teams around the University, including GCU Archives, School Professional Services (SCEBE & HLS) and Marketing & Recruitment.

Dr Ramsay said: “In every Taggart episode there had been a murder, and what a better way to support this event than to stage the University’s very own crime scene. The nature of forensic science is to shed light on evidence and tell its story. We have enjoyed supporting Carole and her team from GCU Archives to allow people an opportunity to tell their Taggart story.”