DOJ and NIST Announce Launch of National Commission on Forensic Science
The United States Department of Justice and the National Institute of Standards and Technology announced on Friday, February 15, 2013 the launch and establishment of a National Commission on Forensic Science. The commission plan is to strengthen and enhance the practice of forensic science. The National Commission on Forensic Science will be responsible for coordination between forensic science and the courtroom. With efforts from both the Department of Justice and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the commission will help standardize national guidance for forensic science practitioners. In addition, the commission will consider guidance on practices for federal, state and local forensic science laboratories developed by groups of forensic science practitioners and academic researchers administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Source: United States Department of Justice
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Citation: United States Department of Justice. (2013). Department of Justice and National Institute of Standards and Technology Announce Launch of National Commission on Forensic Science. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/February/13-dag-203.html
Estimation of Age at Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry
The older a skeleton is, the harder it is to estimate the age at death. This difficulty is due to biological variability in age indicators and the different skeletal response to environmental factors that are unique to an individual. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important for anthropologists to improve age estimates through the use of multiple age indicators and various modalities of assessment (e.g., macroscopic and microscopic). Previously developed methods of age estimation using the femur have demonstrated significant methodological issues, affecting their reliability and accuracy. Christian Crowder’s research evaluates histological age estimation using the anterior femur and explores the biological limitations of bone turnover as an age indicator.
View all recently added publications and multimedia.
Source: forensicmag.com
NY Police Department Standardizing Detective Work
Crime-solving tactics have mostly existed as an oral tradition, passed down informally in the confines of precinct station houses from one generation of investigators to the next. Precinct detective squads belonged to a culture independent from the rest of the department and boasted an autonomy that their uniformed colleagues did not have. Over the last three years however, the New York Police Department has been moving to standardize detective work and codify tactics for solving crimes. The level of instruction in the numerous memos varies from general guidelines and basic investigative methods, to spelling out the very words detectives must say in certain situations. Critics of Chief Pulaski’s mandates describe them as “encumbering the detectives’ mission…treating professional investigators like kids.” However, chief spokesman Paul J. Browne said the memos bolster accountability within the department and ensure that police procedures are “applied as consistently as possible” with the changing laws and focus on forensics.
Source: forensicmag.com
[Abstract by ForensIQ Intern – Mark Lombard]
Citation:
Goldstein, J. (2013, 18). The New York Times . Police Department Standardizing Detective Work . Retrieved February 20, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/nyregion/police-department-standardizing-detective-work.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0
Helping Solve Crimes Through Cutting Edge DNA Research
Advances in DNA technology are rapidly increasing with the help and knowledge of forensic scientists throughout the field. Forensic scientist, John Butler of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is one of the world’s leading experts on DNA analysis. He is responsible for numerous scientific advances in DNA analysis and technology including improvements on analysis of degraded DNA samples. Butler’s current focus centers on rapid DNA testing. His team has demonstrated that DNA testing that has previously taken eight hours to complete can be completed accurately in less than one hour. Butler’s work also includes isolating the male Y-chromosomes from DNA samples to make it easier to identify suspects of sexual assault.
Source: Forensic Magazine and The Washington Post
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Citation: The Partnership for Public Service. (2013, February 19). Helping solve crimes through cutting edge DNA research. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/helping-solve-crimes-through-cutting-edge-dna-research/2013/02/15/068420ac-7789-11e2-8f84-3e4b513b1a13_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines
Bloodstains to Bullet Holes: Mapping the Virtual Crime Scene
Advances in forensic technology have led to the development of 3D scanners that create a virtual portrayal of a crime scene, analyzing such evidence as bloodstains to bullet holes. The device, FARO’s Laser Scanner Focus 3D, is placed in the center of a crime scene atop a photographer’s tripod and can capture 85 photographs and millions of points surrounding the scene within minutes. The scanner allows law enforcement officials and jurors to “walk through” the crime scene and allows law enforcement to analyze points and other details through their computers. The device saves tremendous amounts of time as it captures a 360-degree image in significantly less time than it would take to typically document the crime scene. Various aspects of the device allow law enforcement personnel to construct the crime scene and measure between critical crime scene points.
ForensIQ has partnered with Transcon Imaging Solutions, Annapolis, MD who provides this very service. Click here to learn more about how ForensIQ and Transcon can provide this valuable tool when needed.
Date of Article: February 5, 2013
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Citation: Barrie, A. (2013). Bloodstains to bullet holes: Mapping the virtual crime scene. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/02/05/bloodstains-to-bullet-holes-virtual-crime-scene/
Artist Collects and Analyzes DNA Samples To Create 3D Portraits in “Stranger Visions”
The next time you comb your hair in a public restroom or aimlessly pick a stray strand off your coat, take a moment to think about the personal information you’re leaving behind. In the case of artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg and her Stranger Visions project, she’s picking up stray hairs, cigarette butts, and finger nails in public places where people might inadvertently leave traces of themselves behind, and using these samples to sequence and analyze the DNA contained within. Using facial recognition algorithms and collaboration with biologists, she and her team are developing and building a 3D modeling software that would reconstruct the images of the unknown individual. Dewey-Hagborg uses the information collected to develop images of what these people look like based off their genetic makeup and DNA sequence.
Date of Article: February 7, 2013
Source: Forensic Magazine and The Creators Project
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Citation: Kaganskiy, J. (2013). Artist collects and analyzes DNA samples to create 3D portraits in “stranger visions”. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/de/blog/artist-collects-and-analyzes-dna-samples-to-create-3d-portraits-in-stranger-visions
Robot inquisition keeps witnesses on the right track
Memory is a strange and very impressionable thing. Police constantly run into problems with witnesses recalling potential crimes, and must carefully choose their words when interviewing so as not to influence the witnesses’ recounting of events. This issue, known as the misinformation effect, refers to the influence of using intense words during questioning of witnesses. One such example is using “smash” rather than “bump” or “hit” in cases of car accidents, which actually causes witnesses to report higher speeds and more serious damage. But what happens when a robot asks the questions? Mississippi State University tested this phenomenon by conducting an interview with two separate groups: one with a human and the other with a robot, controlled in a Wizard of Oz like set-up. When asked by a human interviewer, the questions caused the accuracy of witness recall to drop by 40 percent, whereas the questions posed by the robot interviewer had no effect.
Sourced from forensicweek.com
Citation:
Hodson, H. New Scientist . Robot inquisition keeps witnesses on the right track. Retrieved February 9, 2013, from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729036.100-robot-inquisition-keeps-witnesses-on-the-right-track.html?cmpid=RSS|NSNS|2012-GLOBAL|crime-and-forensics
West Virginia University Forensic Science Initiative Offers Online Forensic Courses
West Virginia University’s Forensic Science Initiative (FSI) is presenting a collection of online forensic courses, including Forensic Science 101: An Introduction, Science of Fingerprints, Principles of Death Investigation, Introduction to Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Crime Scene Investigation, and Fundamentals of Forensic Toxicology. FSI also offers the Continuing Education Program Tracks (CEPT) in four areas: Crime Scene Investigation, Forensic Chemistry, Forensic Biology, and Specialized Skills. The tracks contain a capstone that is a comprehensive exam of the knowledge students have gained from the courses taken.
These courses are open to everyone from forensic professionals to the general public. Federal employees can take courses for $30 per course and the general public can take courses at a fee of $225 per course. The general public can also take advantage of the Continuing Education Program Tracks (CEPT), which decreases the cost to $100 per course.
For a complete list of courses offered by FSI and more information, please visit here.
Source: forensicmag.com
Estimation of Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry
Estimating the age at death in the human skeleton can be a challenging task due to the significant physical, biological and general individualistic differences of the body. Determining the age of death of individuals over the age of fifty has proven to be even more difficult. Further developments and models are continually being developed to assist anthropologists in determining age estimates. Early models of age of death estimations based their focus on the femur but this basis has revealed unreliable and inaccurate results. A recent study conducted by Dr. Christian Crowder of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City has shown that focusing on the anterior cortex and the biological limitations of bone turnover has shown to be an accurate model for estimating the age of death for those individuals over the age of fifty. A significant advantage of this model over historical models includes accounting for ninety to ninety-five percent of the spatial variation in osteons within the anterior cortex.
Read the full study here.
Source: Forensic Magazine
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
Citation: Crowder, C. (2013). Estimation of Age at Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry. Retrieved February 12, 2013, from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/estimation-age-death-using-cortical-bone-histomorphometry.
Walker proposes expanding DNA collection
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is seeking to expand DNA collection efforts to include anyone arrested on a felony charge and anyone convicted of a crime. Wisconsin currently collects DNA only from convicted felons and sex offenders, but Walker says that the expansion would be “tremendously powerful” for solving cold cases. Some argue that this move is a civil rights infringement that will put more stress on the state’s justice system, but supporters say it offers a sure-fire genetic identifier upon arrest, which will identify more criminals and solve more cases. Among the proposal to expand DNA collections, Walker wants to provide grants for GPS monitoring of high-risk offenders, spending $1 million to hire five new full-time employees at the DoJ task force, and to replace surcharge money with $4 million from the state’s general fund to assist victims of sexual assaults.
Source: forensicmag.com
Citation:
Bauer, S. SFGate. Walker proposes expanding DNA collection . Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Walker-proposes-expanding-DNA-collection-4271689.php
Regional Firearms Laboratory joins Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences
In an effort to integrate all forensic science disciplines into one, science-based organization, the oversight of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Regional Firearms Identification Laboratory is transferring to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The firearms lab processes approximately 2,000 cases per year for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and 53 other law enforcement agencies. Under the Institute of Forensic Sciences, the lab will share the same accreditation and be held to the same exacting quality standards and comprehensive oversight as the Institute’s current forensic disciplines. Harris County officials say that this adoption will advance leadership in forensic testing and improve the forensic science background of the county.
For more information on the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, visit www.harriscountytx.net/ifs.
Citation:
Thomas, S. Your Houston News. Regional Firearms Laboratory joins Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Retrieved February 13, 2013, from http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/kingwood/news/regional-firearms-laboratory-joins-harris-county-institute-of-forensic-sciences/article_1e271418-7544-11e2-8fd6-0019bb2963f4.html
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Case on Collecting DNA from Arrested People
The United States Supreme Court will hear the battle over collecting DNA samples from arrested but not convicted individuals this month and rule to either allow or prohibit the collection nationwide. A little over half of the states currently collect a DNA sample from arrested but not yet convicted offenders along with standard fingerprints and basic identification procedures after arrest. Proponents for DNA collection of arrested offenders argue that identifying offenders as soon as possible will save innocent lives and prevent future crimes from occurring. Opponents argue that DNA collection of individuals who are not convicted is unconstitutional and a violation of the fourth amendment’s protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Supreme Court will hear the 2009 Maryland v. King case in determining the constitutionality of DNA collection of arrested but not convicted offenders.
Date of Article: February 2, 2013
Source: Forensic Magazine
Citation:
Savage, D. (2013, February 2). Supreme Court to hear fight over taking DNA from arrested people. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-dna-20130203,0,4970458.story
Supreme Court to Hear Fight over Taking DNA from Those Arrested
On a cold February night three years ago, police in suburban Arlington, Va., received a frantic call. A young woman said her roommate had been abducted at gunpoint by a short, clean-shaven man who sped away in a silver SUV.
At dawn, a motorist spotted the victim in a snowy field near a highway, raped and strangled, but alive. An alert officer, hearing the lookout report, recalled that he’d jotted down the license tag of a silver Dodge Durango whose driver lurked near bars at midnight, leading to the quick arrest of a short, clean-shaven Marine named Jorge Torrez.
Ten years ago, Virginia became the first state to require a mouth swab for DNA, upon arrest for a serious crime. This month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a privacy rights challenge to this common police practice. DNA samples are currently being taken nationwide from those convicted of serious crimes, while only the federal government and 28 states take samples from those arrested but not yet convicted. Victim’s rights groups, the Obama administration, and the top state attorneys from California and 48 other states have urged the court to rule in favor of routine DNA testing, saying that the mouth swab is at most, a minor invasion of privacy that has an extraordinary potential for solving heinous crimes.
Sourced from forensicmag.com
Citation:
Savage, D. Los Angeles Times . Fight over taking DNA samples after arrests goes to Supreme Court. Retrieved February 5, 2013, from http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-dna-20130203,0,4970458.story
Free training on Essentials of Forensic Science for Legal Professionals
The West Virginia University Forensic Science Initiative, in collaboration with the National Institute of Justice, is holding the 2013 Spring Essentials of Forensic Science for Legal Professionals program. This training is FREE to practicing prosecuting attorneys who work for a state or county agency and will take place March 19-20, in Tulsa, OK.
The two day program will provide the basic precepts of forensic science training and supply the tools to effectively apply this information for trial. Attendees will also be given information on evaluating the scientific rigor of expert testimony and the reliability of forensic evidence. Members of academia, scientists, and attorneys will instruct and apply practical examples to the content presented. This is an excellent opportunity for the legal community to broaden their knowledge of important forensic science topics while also receiving continuing legal education.
Topics include:
- The Forensic Analysis of Evidence: How Scientific is it?
- Crime Scene Response, Evidence Collection, and Preservation
- Quality Assurance for Forensic Laboratories
- Sufficiency of Forensic Science Laboratory Reports
- Basic Statistical Concepts in Forensics
- Frye, Daubert, and Their Application to Current Issues in Forensic Science
Registration will open January 28, 2013 at 12:00 PM (EST).
Source: forensicmag.com
NIJ Accepting Proposals for Research on Firearms and Violence
The National Institute of Justice’s solicitation on firearms and violence is now available. This means that NIJ is accepting proposals for research on topics, such as the effects of criminal justice interventions on reducing gun violence, improving data systems for studying gun violence, illicit gun markets, and the effects of firearm policies and legislation on public safety.
Deadline for applications is May 2, 2013.
View all current funding opportunities from NIJ.
Source: forensicmag.com
