Trace Evidence
Symposium 2009
Sandra Koch
Forensic Examiner
Trace Evidence Unit
FBI Laboratory
Quantico, Virginia
Member
Trace Evidence Symposium Steering Committee
In August 2007 the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the
FBI Laboratory sponsored an internationally attended symposium on
trace evidence. The symposium was very well received in the forensic
community, and the proceedings and presentations can be viewed online
at http://projects.nfstc.org/trace/.
Because of increased pressures on crime laboratories and the need
to continue to provide a forum for research, training, and collaboration,
the FBI Laboratory and the NIJ are pleased to announce that another
Trace Evidence Symposium will be held August 2–7, 2009, in
Clearwater Beach, Florida. The theme of this symposium will be “Interpretation
and Reporting Issues.” As last year’s symposium did,
this symposium will serve to foster increased awareness among forensic
scientists, law enforcement, and the legal communities of the value
of trace evidence. It will also serve as an educational forum for
trace evidence examiners and managers and as a forum to identify
new areas of research and technological needs within the various
subdisciplines of trace evidence.
The nature of trace, or “transfer,” evidence is highly
variable, and trace evidence can be found at nearly every crime
scene. Although trace evidence is often present, its collection,
preservation, analysis, and eventual use in court have declined
in recent years. Identifying the origin of foreign material found
at a crime scene can be powerful evidence; yet in recent years,
this type of evidence has been underutilized in the United States
and has led some laboratories to reduce their capability to analyze
such evidence. The FBI Laboratory and the National Institute of
Justice continue to recognize the important impact that trace evidence
has on criminal investigations and, ultimately, on the U.S. justice
system.
Trace evidence is considered one of the most diverse of the forensic
disciplines because it can include the analysis of hair, fiber,
paint, glass, soil, and other particulate matter. Some jurisdictions
also include in their trace units the analysis of botanical material,
arson/fire debris, explosives, and/or impression evidence. A trace
evidence examiner frequently is involved in the analysis of a wide
variety of evidence and, accordingly, is usually proficient in a
variety of techniques and instrumentation such as microscopy, spectroscopy,
photography, and other analytical instrumentation. Symposium workshops
will be offered to help trace evidence examiners gain further training
and updates on the techniques and instrumentation they may use in
casework.
Because of the diverse nature of trace evidence, the Trace Evidence
Symposium will present a broad range of issues, from technological
foundations and research methods to applied practices and policy
considerations that impact the field of trace evidence analysis.
Papers presented at the symposium may include such topics as unique
applications of trace evidence, research findings/results, method
validation, interpretation, case studies, bench tips, accreditation,
report writing, and legal and/or policy implications. Workshops
also will be available for continuing education on issues relevant
to the theme of interpretation and report writing, instrumental
techniques and analysis, interpretation of evidence, and the use
of nonroutine techniques, as well as workshops specifically geared
to new trace evidence examiners.
Abstracts for papers for presentation at the symposium are being
accepted until October 15, 2008, through the Trace Evidence Symposium
Web site established by NIJ at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/welcome.htm.
For further details on abstract-submission requirements and the
Trace Evidence Symposium, refer to the NIJ Web site.
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