Alex Otto

Alex Otto, Demonstrator in Forensic Science

It could be said that Alex’s path to Bournemouth University’s School of Applied Sciences has followed a somewhat ‘unconventional’ academic route.

“I started my working life at 18 by joining the South African Police Force. I worked in the Flying Squad, became a detective and then joined the Fraud Branch. I was also one of the 5 founding members of the first Children Protection Unit based in Johannesburg”.

After 9 years service with the South African Police, Alex moved back to the UK. “I began working for Wiltshire Police as a Crime Scene Investigator, which I did for 11 years”. She obtained a Diploma in Crime Scene Examination at Durham University on completing her initial CSI training. She is a qualified Crime Scene Manager, and has also completed a Fire Investigation Course at the Fire Services College in Morton-on-Marsh. Alex enrolled at the University of Teesside for her first academic endeavour, receiving a BSc in Forensic Investigation.

In her position as Demonstrator in Forensic Science at BU, Alex is well-placed to pass on her considerable expertise, knowledge and research to students. Her research interest comprises “a wide range of research relating to the enhancement of evidence collected at crime scenes”, and specifically “3D scanning of footwear impressions as an alternative method of identification.

“Footwear impressions recovered from crime scenes has become increasingly important in the identification of suspects in criminal cases, and it has become clear that new and alternatives can be used for this purpose”.

Alex’s experience means that her professional work has branched out in her career, and she also leads the Forensic Photography Short Course at BU.

Whilst her work has taken across the UK, it is a far cry from some of the situations that Alex faced in South Africa. “When the police station in central Johannesburg was blown up with me inside, luckily there were no injuries”. At the time, Alex reflects, her mother took a less sympathetic approach to the incident - “she was quoted as saying ‘you should have gone to work for Marks & Spencer!’”.

However, her time in the Police Force has also been able to provide her with some of her proudest career moments. “I received the Chief Constable’s certificate of merit for my involvement in a fatal traffic accident involving articulated lorries, where a colleague and I took over 600 forensic photographs. We were commended by the judge”.

The best thing about Alex’s job? “Being in a situation where you are passing on knowledge but learning new things everyday. I genuinely enjoy seeing the students develop. They arrive in the first year all timid and by the end of the third year they have developed into well-rounded individuals.”

In terms of the forensic crime scene field, Alex believes that there is not one particularly outstanding issue. Somewhat methodically, she says that “It’s ongoing and changes from day to day as things advance”.

In her spare time Alex is keen to travel to new places and catch up on her love of non-fiction books. “Crime books, that is”.

In the academic year 2010/11, Alex won the Vice Chancellor's Awards 2011 'Team of the Year' prize along with her colleagues from the Applied Sciences Laboratory and Technical Team led by Dr Iain Green.