DIRECTOR FORENSIC SERVICES
Tom Nelson CChem MRSC
As Director of SPSA Forensic Services Tom Nelson has responsibility for the provision of forensic science services to each of the eight Scottish police forces and other key customers within the wider criminal justice community. Tom heads up a team of over 500 employees, spread across the country, who specialise in a number of forensic science disciplines including chemistry, biology, fingerprints, scene examination and DNA.
Tom has been a forensic scientist for 25 years. He began his career at the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory, originally part of the Northern Ireland Office. Tom started work in the chemistry section but later developed an expertise in fire scene investigation, paint and glass analysis.
In 1995 Tom took up the post as section leader in the Lothian and Borders Police Forensic Science Laboratory where he managed the drugs and general chemistry departments.
In 1998 he was promoted to Chemistry Unit Manager with responsibility for the three scientific sections - chemistry, drugs and toxicology. Then in 2003 he became Director of the Lothian and Borders Forensic Science Support Department with overall control for providing a quality forensic science service from crime scene to court for Lothian and Borders Police.
In November 2004 Tom was appointed Implementation Manager for the Common Police Service Forensic Project. From September 2005 he has held the post of Interim Director of the Scottish Forensic Service. He was appointed as Director in January 2007.