Role
Rachel is an Associate Professor of Forensic Science and is the Forensic Science Courses Manager. Her teaching and research focus on the criminal use of firearms and ammunition and she supervises research projects from undergraduate to PhD level. Rachel is responsible for developing the undergraduate and postgraduate courses as well as implementing the University’s policy and strategy for forensic science.
Career overview
After completing the BSc (Hons) Sandwich degree in Forensic Science at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in 2008, she was awarded the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) Scholarship in 2010 and a PhD in Forensic Firearms Identification and Imaging in July 2012.
Rachel began a lectureship at Staffordshire University in 2011 and has been an Associate Professor of Forensic Science since 2017. In 2019 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate advances in gun crime technologies and international best practices as well as a National Teaching Fellowship from Advance HE following her outstanding contribution to Higher Education. She became a Senior Fellow of HEA in 2021 and was appointed as Associate Professor and Courses Manager of Forensic Science at Nottingham Trent University in July 2023.
Additional awards & recognition:
- Outstanding Alumni Award from NTU (2022) for her contribution to society in the field of forensic ballistics;
- CSFS' PW Allen Commendation (2023) for her co-authored research paper and impact on enhancing forensic CPD through the tri-institutional #RemoteForensicCSI community of practice, which was established during the COVID-pandemic;
- Letter of Commendation from Head of National Ballistics Intelligence Service (2023) for her contribution to their organisational development and society;
- Finalist for the 2021 Global Advancing Academic Development Good Practice Awards for #RemoteForensicCSI;
- Finalist of the 2019 Times Higer Education Awards for Most Innovative Teacher of the Year
- Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (2017) for her contribution to enhancing the student experience at Staffordshire University through their collaborative work with UK police forces.
Research areas
My research currently centres around the use and development of technology to investigate firearm-related crime and explores how firearm and ammunition manufacturing methods impact on forensic science. Firearms and ballistics is a diverse discipline and therefore the research I lead is often multi-disciplinary and can be applied in a variety of contexts, both modern and historic, in the UK and/or internationally. As a result, most of my research involves working with external agencies, companies or institutions.
Research projects focus on:
- Supporting the research and development of new or emerging technologies and devices. Such projects could include working with external companies to test and develop their new systems/solutions, or working with law enforcement to develop a new forensic sampling device for example. This could also include using machine learning to calculate the likelihood that the same gun was used in multiple crimes.
- Applying or developing new methods for the analysis and interpretation of challenging forensic evidence. Projects could include developing methods that effectively remove corrosion from fired bullets or cartridge cases in cases of war crime, using computed tomography and x-rays to assess structural integrity, health and safety and legal classification, or analysing decomposed carcases in suspected cases of illegal persecution (shooting).
- Developing new methods to more accurately interpret shooting distance. Projects could include testing non-destructive technologies that are new to market or developing new methods to analyse and interpret challenging case scenarios such as relatively close contact shootings. These projects often involve analytical techniques, image processing and/or computational methods for comparative analysis.
- Analysing gunshot residue for forensic intelligence and evidential purposes. These projects often include using analytical chemistry to develop new ways to detect, enhance, analyse and/or interpret live or fired ammunition components.
- Investigating the manufacture of privately manufactured firearms and ammunition. These projects could include testing the efficacy of proposed homemade rifling methods, or developing new examination and profiling methods or reporting best practices to establish illegal production and trafficking of firearms and ammunition.
- Evaluating firearm evidence workflows to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in investigating firearm-related crime. Such projects often involve qualitative research methods including surveying and/or interviewing professionals working in law enforcement and forensic laboratories in the UK and/or internationally.
For more information please see some of her recent publications and presentations in this field.
Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil/PhD in the School of Science and Technology exist and further information may be obtained from the NTU Doctoral School.
External activity
Rachel is a professional member of The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and has been the Editor-in-Chief of their internationally recognised journal, Science & Justice since 2020. She is also a Technical Advisor to the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners, Visiting Professor at Staffordshire Police, and Visiting Fellow at Aston University and Staffordshire University.
Rachel currently sits on two Forensic Science Regulator Specialist Groups for Firearms and Interpretation, which focus on developing the UK’s forensic science quality standards, and she co-wrote the revised Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education’s Subject Benchmark in Forensic Science in 2022. Through her passion to enhance the quality of training and competence assessment for forensic practitioners she is working with Staffordshire Police and the Met Police to develop, implement and test a variety of immersive learning methods in crime scene environments.
Further to this, Rachel co-Directs the Staffordshire University Cold Case Unit in collaboration with Locate International and supports international cold cases analyses through Lower Saxony Police Academy and the German Prosecutors’ Office. She also co-leads an international community of practice called #RemoteForensicCSI, which provides free CPD to educators and trainers through remote sharing of innovations in forensic science teaching, training and learning.
Due to her expertise, Rachel is invited to deliver keynote and plenary presentations and workshops at international conferences as well as contribute to publications such as the UNIDIR’s Handbook to Profile small Arms Ammunition and the ARES Arms & Munitions Classification System (ARCS). In 2023, Rachel also spoke as an invited expert at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons Plenary Committee meeting on the use of explosive weapons as a major driver of displaced persons and is contributing to the writing of the final report.
Rachel also has experience of being an external examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate courses and she externally examines MRes and PhDs in the UK and internationally. She has been a visiting lecturer at Avans University in the Netherlands and other universities in the UK, USA, India and the Philippines.
Please email Rachel for further details or to enquire about future collaboration opportunities.
Sponsors and collaborators
Rachel has the privilege of working with a range of collaborators in the UK and internationally. She provides research and CPD opportunities to various law enforcement professionals particularly in the criminal manufacture and use of firearms and ammunition. Ongoing collaborations include Staffordshire Police, Durham Constabulary, Met Police and Warwickshire Police. Such inputs include the examination and analysis of slam guns and converted weapons, delivering presentations within Senior Investigator Officer training programmes and delivering bespoke workshops for intelligence officers, forensic investigators, forensic submissions officers, advisors, digital forensic practitioners and CCTV operators. Rachel also provides consultancy opportunities and works in collaboration with technology providers to support research and development, particularly in the areas of ballistics imaging and non-destructive chemical analysis. These collaborators include National Ballistics Intelligence Service (UK), Zoological Society of London (UK), Evidence IQ (USA) and ScannBI (Germany).
Publications
Rachel's most recent journal articles are listed in the university's iRep database, although her key research publications are summarised below:
- Basu N., Bolton-King R.S., Morrison G.S. (2022). ‘Forensic comparison of fired cartridge cases: Feature-extraction methods for feature-based calculation of likelihood ratios’, Forensic Science International: Synergy, 5, 100272. DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2022.100272.
- Bettels, K, Grimstead, D, Allsop, C, Chaussée, A, Bolton-King, RS, Sturdy Colls, C, Chapman, B, Keatley, D, Tilley, E, Turner, J, Spence, S & Marquardt, A (2022). ‘Finding the missing and unknown: Novel educational approaches to warming up cold cases’, Science & Justice, 62(6). DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.03.007.
- Bolton-King, RS (2022). ‘Student mentoring to enhance graduates’ employability potential’, Science & Justice, 62(6). DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.04.010
- Bolton-King, RS, Nichols-Drew, L & Turner, IJ (2022). ‘#RemoteForensicCSI: Enriching Teaching, Training and Learning through Networking and Timely CPD’, Science & Justice, 62(6). DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.01.004. Article awarded a Commendation from the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.
- Bolton-King, RS, Kara, H, Rankin, BWJ, Morgan, RM, Cassella, JP, Kaye, JP, Burke, S & Fripp, D (2020). ‘Significance and Accessibility of Student Research for Justice System Professionals’, Forensic Science International: Synergy, 2, pp 60-71. DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2019.09.009
- Greenslade, KJ & Bolton-King, RS (2019). ‘Empirical Evaluation of Spring Powered Air Rifle Storage and Modifications on Forensic Practice and Casework’, Forensic Science International, 294, pp 160-172. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.11.004
- Sturdy Colls, C, Bolton-King, RS, Colls, K, Harris, T & Weston, C (2019). ‘Proof of Life: Graffiti Archaeology on the Island of Alderney’, European Journal of Archaeology, 22(2), pp 232-254. DOI: 10.1017/eaa.2018.71.
- Bolton-King, RS (2016). ‘Preventing Miscarriages of Justice: A Review of Forensic Firearm Identification’. Science & Justice, 56(2), pp 129-142. DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2015.11.002. Re-printed in AFTE Journal, Summer 2017, 49(3),pp 162-182.
- Bolton-King, RS, Bencsik, M, Evans, JPO, Smith, CL, Allsop, DF, Painter, JD & Cranton, W (2012). ‘Numerical Classification of Curvilinear Structures for the Identification of Pistol Barrels’, Forensic Science International, 220(1-3), pp. 197 – 209. DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.03.002.
Other recently authored publications:
- Bolton-King, RS & Poole, H (forthcoming 2024). ‘Responding to Technology Enabled Black Market’. In: Squires, P. Ed. ‘Handbook on Gun Violence and Society’, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
- Rankin, B & Bolton-King, RS (forthcoming 2024). ‘Introduction’. In: White, P. Ed. ‘Crime Scene to Court: The Essentials of Forensic Science’, 5th Edition, London, UK: Royal Society of Chemistry.
- Bolton-King, RS (2023). ‘Estimation of Muzzle-to-Target Distance’. In: ‘Encyclopaedia of Forensic Sciences’, Vol 2, 3rd Edition, London, UK: Elsevier. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-823677-2.00206-3
- Watson, S & Bolton-King, RS (2021). Chapter 7 ‘Responding to Firearm Crime’. In: ‘Firearms: Global Perspectives on Consequences, Crime and Control’ edited by Poole, H & Sneddon, ST. London, UK: Taylor & Francis Group.
- Bolton-King, RS (2017). ‘Rifling Methods of Factory Fitted 9 mm Luger (9x19 mm) Pistol Barrels: A Reference Resource’, AFTE Journal, 49(4), pp 221-234.
- Bolton-King, RS (2017). Section 18 ‘Weapons’. In: ‘Scenes of Crime Handbook’. UK: SceneSafe.
- Bolton-King, RS & Schulze, J (2016). Chapter 7 ‘Firearms and Ballistics’. In: ‘Practical Veterinary Forensics’ edited by Bailey, D. Wallingford, UK: CABI, pp 81-117. ISBN 9781780642949.
Press expertise
Rachel's areas of expertise are in forensic science and firearm-related criminal investigations in particular. This includes:
- Manufacturing, identification and profiling of firearms and ammunition
- Non-destructive examination of firearms, ammunition and firearm-related evidence, included heavily corroded items
- Forensic firearm identification
- Ballistics imaging and crime linkage
- Shooting incident reconstruction
- Gunshot residue analysis.
Her recent media experience includes:
- Filming and interview by New Scientist in March 2023 to feature in their social media campaign in relation to my collaborative work with BallisticsIQ, which was posted on TikTok in April 2023;
- Television filming for Rastava2 documentary regarding my analysis of fired bullet evidence recovered from a World War II mass grave, which aired in Georgia and on Facebook in August 2022;
- Interview for the Crime Tapes podcast (UK) on policing firearms in 2021;
- Recorded interview for the RF Factor podcast (USA) in 2021, which also is available on YouTube;
- Interview by BBC News and quoted in numerous newspaper articles related to the police shooting on London Bridge in 2019;
- Live interview at BBC Radio Stoke (aired March 2019) and press release in local newspaper The Stoke Sentinel regarding my award of a Churchill Fellowship;
- Interviewed as a case study for Jisc’s What the EdTech podcast series in 2018 covering open science, big data, my research and Research4Justice.
My teaching and research most strongly aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, Peace Justice and Strong Institutions, although the awards and recognition I have received in my career also evidence my contributions to providing innovative, high quality education. My implementation of more inclusive, accessible and authentic work-like opportunities helps to reduce inequality and support individuals' personal and professional development in the sector. I am passionate about teaching, training and research to enhance operational practices in the criminal justice system and make our communities safer.
