Vehicle enhancement specialist Bott has developed a bespoke vehicle conversion, designed to improve the efficiency of the West Midlands Police forensic technician team.

The eight vehicles (based on a Peugeot Expert and part of a larger order comprising 13 vans) have been configured to allow forensic technicians to do more ‘in the field’.

The office section of the vehicle includes seating, a drop down table and space for a laptop and printer. There is a further section for a fingerprint scanner, DNA analyser or cool box. This will enable technicians to carry out administration work in a mobile environment, as opposed to the historical office based method.

The equipment and evidence storage sections in the rear of the vehicle include a bespoke storage system, specifically designed to store investigation equipment, along with facilities for storing vital evidence and securely transporting any items away from the scene for further inspection.

Gary Mallett, fleet specification manager for West Midlands Police, commented: “The forensic team has been tasked with improving its productivity, and need to spend more time out in the field.

"It was clear that a dedicated office area was required to allow the team to complete important paperwork while remaining mobile; however they still required the same amount of storage space for evidence and the vital equipment needed to process a crime scene.

“The system that has been developed allowed us to utilise the vans effectively. The vehicles are multifunctional, allowing our team to work in a much more efficient way.”

Andy Harris, specialist vehicle sales manager at Bott’s vehicle enhancement division, adds: “We organised a number of workshops with West Midlands Police’s forensic department to allow the technicians to set out their specific needs, so a complete, tailored solution could be devised.

"A prototype was built and it was trialled for 10 weeks. The feedback enabled us to tweak the design where necessary, so that the final specification completely matched the team’s requirements.”