Long before Hollywood made forensic science look cool under blue lights, the AFP was already doing it for real … and better.
In the 1980s, AFP forensic scientists, working in conjunction with Australian National University, invented the now iconic blue Polilight. This high-intensity, portable light source would shine a new light on crime scenes around the world, illuminating fingerprints, bodily fluids, fibres and other crucial trace evidence that had previously been invisible to the naked eye of investigators.
"The Polilight changed the game. It allowed our officers to reveal hidden evidence at crime scenes and in the lab, giving us an edge that no one else had at the time," said AFP Principle Forensic Scientist Dr Kylie Jones.
Before then, locating invisible evidence was tedious, unreliable and often required transporting items across the country for further examination.
But with the flick of a switch, the Polilight shone a nearly magical light on physical evidence that revealed crucial evidence and sped up the investigative process.
The AFP's breakthrough made it possible to conduct detailed forensic searches on-site with speed and precision, helping to crack major cases and bringing a new edge to safeguard the Australian community.
The first prototype of this light source was produced in 1981 by Milutin Stoilovic, Ron Warrener and Hilton Kobus alongside Chris Leonard, Ron Chamberlain and Pier Margot at the joint ANU/AFP research facility.
In 1985, an updated version of the light known as the Unilight II was completed. This was the light that was eventually commercialised under the Polilight brand after Mr Stoilivic took it to an FBI fingerprint conference in Quantico, Virginia, and it took the world by storm. The AFP archive contains a working model of one of the early Unilight II models.
Word got out fast and the AFP invention became a staple not just in Australia, but in forensic units around the globe. From Scotland Yard to the FBI, international law enforcement agencies lined up to get their hands on the AFP invention.
It wasn't long before the Polilight's glowing blue beam became a familiar sight on real-life crime scenes and also on fictional ones too - NCIS, Law & Order and CSI all borrowed a page from the AFP's forensic playbook.
Dr Kylie Jones said the Polilight was a world-first innovation born in our own forensic labs.
"The innovation helped establish the AFP's reputation as a global leader in policing science - and gave forensic TV writers a lot of great material," Dr Jones added.
Today, the Polilight's legacy lives on in advanced forensic lighting systems, but its origin story remains proudly Australian. It's proof that sometimes the brightest ideas come from behind the scenes.
Today, AFP members continue to push the boundaries to keep Australians safe in an increasingly complex world.
The AFP Museum still maintains a collection of fingerprint kits containing fingerprint ink, roller, silver and black powders, brushes and bottles historically used by investigators.
At the AFP's newest forensic facility in New South Wales, the work is lined with state-of-the-art equipment that allows scientists to piece together clues invisible to the naked eye - yet the Polilight remains a constant reminder to the AFPs innovation.
From recovering tiny DNA fragments, analysing digital devices, and reconstructing crime scenes in virtual 3D the sky remains the limit to the innovation possible at the AFP.
