Shoeprint database to keep criminals on their toes

Shoe impressions have helped to solve major murder and rape cases. Picture / Daily Post

Suspects and criminals will be asked for a shoeprint as well as fingerprints and DNA for a new crime-fighting database.

The national shoeprint database will take shoe impressions from three police districts - Auckland City, Central (covering New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Wanganui) and Canterbury - over a three-year trial run by police and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR).

Shoe impressions have proved significant evidence in high-profile police investigations, including the hunt for serial rapists Joseph Thompson and Malcolm Rewa and the killers of Howick mother Tania Furlan and businessman Graham Kirkwood.

Thompson wore distinctive boots that left prints at his crime scenes and the brand was linked to a factory where he worked.

Police national forensic services adviser Inspector John Walker said the database would store shoeprints from crime scenes and impressions taken from suspects and people when they were arrested.

Shoeprints could be volunteered but police had the power under the Police Act to take items "relating to identification of a person" at the time of arrest, said Mr Walker.

The database pilot will run for three years to prove its value and may also include a reference database of thousands of commonly available styles of shoes.

"A shoe is only for six months, two years, and there are continually new shoes coming into the market ... therefore the database becomes a bit obsolete very, very quickly," Mr Walker said.

"So one of the things we're looking at is whether ... we don't bother with that and just keep a database of shoeprints found at crime scenes with shoeprints provided from known people."

There was limited value in identifying a type of shoe, such as a common sports brand, but the evidence could be important when a print showed particular markings.