Suffolk’s Principal SOCO wins ACPO award

Suffolk Constabulary’s Principal Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) has been honoured at the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Homicide Working Groups annual awards ceremony.

David Stagg, who has worked as the head of Suffolk’s Scenes of Crime and DNA unit since 1999, was given the prestigious national award in recognition of his good work on a number of murder cases in the county.

After starting his working life in the research and development lab of a board mill in the north of England, Mr Stagg joined Cumbria Constabulary as a Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) in 1986 and became a Senior SOCO in 1990. He moved to Suffolk in 1999 and now oversees 24 SOCOs based at Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds plus DNA administration staff at the Scientific Services base at Halesworth.

On a day-to-day basis, he is responsible for implementing new forensic techniques and force strategy, budgeting and equipping staff with the appropriate information technology and keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in the fast-moving forensic world.

Scientific Services manager Jim Burzio said: “David has acted as forensic co-ordinator in a number of very difficult and high profile major incidents that have each required extensive and ground breaking forensic analysis. Throughout these enquiries David’s management has been first class. He has actively pushed Scenes of Crime and DNA performance up to meet challenging detection targets and is very strong on staff motivation and the development of teamwork.”

It is this good work, primarily in connection with high profile murder enquiries in the county over the past few years, that has earned him the award.

Mr Stagg said: “After twenty years in Scenes of Crime work, it is a great privilege to receive the award from the ACPO Homicide Working Group. It reflects well on Suffolk Constabulary and, in particular, on our Scenes of Crime team. Over the years we have developed and professionalised our crime scene investigation processes and this has brought success in some extremely challenging cases.”