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Study: White Police Officers Use Force More Often Than Non-White Colleagues
July 22, 2020
Data from more than 2 million 911 calls show that race is a key determinant of force, researchers say, especially in majority-Black neighborhoods. read more
Missouri Bill Streamlines Rape Kit Testing, Adds Survivor Resources
July 20, 2020
Missouri’s governor has signed into law a sweeping bill that addresses sexual assault crimes, including an electronic tracking system for rape kits and a telehealth network for forensic examinations of victims. read more
New Forensic Method Helps Improve Police Lineups
July 20, 2020
A new forensic approach attempts to gauge the strength of witness memory while minimizing the influence of unwitting bias in an attempt to solve why so many innocent people get convicted of crimes. read more
String of Firsts in Forensic Proteomics for Ricin Detection
July 20, 2020
With this method, forensic scientists can detect ricin and better account for the clumsy methods would-be terrorists use to concentrate the toxin. read more
UN Regulations on Cybersecurity Pave Way for Connected Vehicles
July 20, 2020
Two new UN Regulations on Cybersecurity and Software Updates will help tackle these cybersecurity risks by establishing clear performance and audit requirements for car manufacturers. read more
Domestic Violence Increased During Great Recession
July 20, 2020
Emergency room visits for domestic violence incidents in California more than tripled during the Great Recession, signaling a need to prepare for similar effects during COVID-19. read more
Florida First to Protect Consumer DNA from All Insurance Companies
July 17, 2020
House Bill 1189 prohibits life, disability and long-term care insurance companies from requiring or soliciting genetic information from applicants and forbids DNA testing companies from providing consumer genetic information to insurers without permission. read more
New York College Opens Collaborative Digital Forensics Lab
July 17, 2020
The new laboratory will serve as a research space for Roberts Wesleyan students and private sector clients, such as corporate security teams, private lawyers and public institutions. read more
New York State Police Continue to Investigate 36-year-old Homicide
July 17, 2020
A forensic examination determined the remains were those of Bessie Williams, and the manner of death was homicide. read more
Forensic Science Major Leads Discussion About Race Relations and Law Enforcement
July 17, 2020
Devansh Sheth ’23 wanted to help foster a conversation and promote change. So, he organized and hosted a virtual panel discussion, bringing together professionals in law enforcement and the community. read more
FBI, International Operation Recovers 18 Children From Sex Trafficking Ring
July 17, 2020
This operation has resulted in dozens of arrests across the country, as well as in other countries. More importantly, the operation has so far located and recovered 18 children from being sexually exploited. read more
Medical Examiners, Pediatricians Issue First Guidelines for Sudden Pediatric Death
July 15, 2020
An expert panel of over 30 multidisciplinary contributors from across the country came together to publish “Unexplained Pediatric Deaths: Investigation, Certification and Family Needs.” read more
Forensic Artists Awarded £100,000 Grant for New Equipment
July 15, 2020
The Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification was successfully awarded £100,000 by a charitable trust to update and replace the specialist equipment required to create facial reconstructions. read more
Men Convicted in 1985 Murder Have Cases Dismissed After Henry Lee Testimony Ruled Erroneous
July 15, 2020
Two men who spent decades in prison based in part on the erroneous testimony of world-famous forensic expert Henry Lee had all charges against them dismissed last week by a Connecticut Superior Court judge. read more
Innocence Project Calls for Reforms After DA Report Examines 25 Wrongful Convictions in Brooklyn
July 15, 2020
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office released a landmark report examining how and why the Conviction Review Unit in Brooklyn, New York, agreed to exonerate 25 wrongly convicted people in a five-year period. read more
Germany Seizes Server Hosting Pilfered U.S. Police Files
July 15, 2020
At the behest of the U.S. government, German authorities have seized a computer server that hosted a huge cache of files from scores of U.S. federal, state and local law enforcement agencies obtained in a Houston data breach last month. read more
Illinois State Police Reduce DNA Backlog by 33%, Debut Plan to Keep Momentum
July 13, 2020
Through a combination of laboratory accountability measures, lab robotics, rapid DNA, lean six-sigma efficiencies and the hiring of additional forensic scientists, the Illinois State Police have achieved a 33% overall reduction in the Biology/DNA forensic backlog. read more
Excavations to Resume for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Graves
July 13, 2020
Tulsa will resume test excavations of potential unmarked graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre after the effort was halted in March because of the coronavirus outbreak. read more
Lawyer: Over 150 Minneapolis Officers Seeking Disability
July 13, 2020
More than 150 Minneapolis police officers are filing work-related disability claims after the death of George Floyd and ensuing unrest, with about three-quarters citing post-traumatic stress disorder as the reason for their planned departures. read more
Protective Filter Defends Images and Video against Deepfake Manipulation
July 13, 2020
An algorithm developed by BU computer scientists defends original images by counterattacking attempts at deepfake manipulation, distorting the files so that they cannot be used nefariously. read more