In honouring of Women’s Month, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is highlighting the achievements of its female officers.
One such officer is Colonel Veni Ruthenavelu, whose passion for collecting banknotes and stamps led her to the specialised field of question document analysis at the Plattekloof Forensic Science Laboratory.
Initially working as an analyst in the chemistry environment for three years, Ruthenavelu, who holds an honours degree in chemistry, felt the need for a new challenge.
This led her to the largely unfamiliar area of document analysis within law enforcement said the police statement by Brigadier Novela Potelwa.
The question document field covers various aspects of document examination, with analysts working across six levels.
Level 1 involves detecting counterfeit or fraudulent banknotes from different countries, while Levels 2-4 cover the analysis of security documents such as identity cards, passports, and qualifications.
Levels 5 and 6 focus on the forensic examination of handwriting and signatures.
Ruthenavelu explained how this field developed. It was, “Borne out (of) a need from court where such analysis was required in order to deal with criminal cases opened”.
Originating from the United States, the field remains without a specific qualification in South Africa.
Candidates entering this field are typically drawn from disciplines such as chemistry, criminology, computer science and police science.
The training process is rigorous, combining three to five months of practical experience with years of ongoing mentorship.
Continuous professional development is also crucial as the field evolves.
As a manager, Ruthenavelu designs the training materials used in this ongoing education and prepares her team to serve as expert witnesses in court, using mock trials for practice.
Despite her qualifications in chemistry, Ruthenavelu finds her work in question document analysis deeply rewarding, particularly because of the positive impact it has on the lives of ordinary people, which she views as a way of “giving back to society”.
“The work that I do as an analyst contributes to making South Africa a safer country, holistically, by helping successfully prosecute criminals.
“Even though this is fulfilling, I still believe that my role as a trainer, mentor and manager plays a more important role in the Laboratory by empowering a new generation of analysts to carry this knowledge forward thus ensuring our scarce skills will never be depleted,” Ruthenavelus aid.
Collaboration is a key part of her work. Ruthenavelu and her team regularly work with the Reserve Bank, the US Secret Service, Chinese authorities, immigration officials, and airport personnel to address document-related crimes.
Looking to the future, Ruthenavelu envisions a paperless world where physical banknotes become obsolete.
She emphasises the importance of embracing technological advancements, especially in light of the increasingly sophisticated types of fraud emerging today.
Her dedication and leadership have earned her recognition within SAPS.
Her team won the Best Forensic Section award at the 2022/2023 National Excellence Awards and the Western Cape Question Documents team secured the Best Question Documents award for two consecutive years at the Division Awards.
As a mother of two, Ruthenavelu hopes to inspire young analysts to join the field and lead the way in the digital era.
IOL News