April/May 2011 Issue On the Scene: Improvised Tools of the Trade
Sometimes the techniques taught in classes and workshops, or the tools or equipment we have at our disposal simply won’t work given the specifics of the crime scene in front of us. When you find yourself in such a situation, you need to think outside the box.
SIM Forensics: Part 1
SIMs are found in GSM, iDEN, and Blackberry handsets. Under the GSM framework, a cell phone is termed a Mobile Station, consisting of a SIM card and a handset. From an investigative perspective, one useful feature of a SIM card is that it can be moved from one GSM compatible phone to another.
Identification: Smarter Facilities Improve the Safety, Efficiency, and Security in Laboratories
By Susan Halla
Smart facilities, including laboratories, can save space and energy (and therefore money) compared to traditional facilities. One area in which facilities are becoming increasingly smart is user identification.
Don't Take The Fall
Almost daily we review accident or injury reports that remind us about the dangers of slips, trips, and falls and the heavy cost associated with the resulting injuries. A few recent statistics hammer home the reality of the concern:
Forensic Art
The case of an unidentified girl illustrates forensic reconstruction techniques. Learning about the science, facial features, muscles, proportions, different races, interviewing skills, composite drawings, skull reconstructions, and how gravity affects the deceased are all important to successful reconstructions.
Storing DNA on Fabric
By Mona M. Awny, Fadia Moustafa Atteia, Azza El-Elemi, Nahed M. M. Ali
A study on the effect of storage duration and fabric type on DNA quantity extracted from dried seminal stains.
Accessibility and the Backlog: Rethinking DNA Capability and Capacity
By Valerie Mattimore Fuller, Ph.D.
The DNA testing community must rethink its conventional mindset and reexamine traditional DNA analysis procedures.
Leading By Example
By Chris Asplen
As I began to put together some notes and think about the benchmarks of DNA’s integration into our American system of justice, I inevitably began to think about the people who have been integral to that process. For all of those who stand out in their individual fields of expertise, one person came to mind who, has contributed to the whole picture, Dr. Paul Ferrara.
Scared Safer
Being “Scared Safer” is the positive effect of hearing an accident story. It’s the desired result.
