Investigative Support & Forensics (ISF)
Mission: Identify, prioritize, and execute research and development projects that satisfy interagency requirements for criminal investigation, law enforcement, and forensic technology applications in terrorism related cases.
Project Funding
Investigative Support and Forensics represents five percent of the TSWG FY08 program funding budget.
Funding targets projects that provide new capabilities to law enforcement personnel, forensic scientists, and intelligence operatives responsible for investigating and interdicting terrorist incidents.
Focus Area Product Catalogs
ISF focus areas reflect the prioritized requirements of the military and civilian law enforcement communities. Fielded projects have had a major impact on forensic investigations and intelligence operations throughout the law enforcement community.
Next Generation Canines
Canine projects include the assessment of tools and techniques that support and enhance canine detection as well as develop methods and techniques to improve canine performance and reliability. There is also an interest in the design, development and testing methods on improving the capability to relocate friendly personnel, re-establish contact with enemy combatants and conduct reconnaissance of an area.
Crime Scene Response
Crime Scene Response sponsors projects that improve the quality of recognition, documentation, collection, and preservation of evidence as well as the safety of first responders at a scene. Products focus on training first responders and forensic examiners and work to improve the capability to process and record terrorist incident scenes for future prosecution. Products
Questioned Document Examination
Questioned Document Examination sponsors projects that develop advanced document and handwriting analysis techniques, devise standardized identification criteria, and establish a legal scientific basis for these examinations. Products concentrate on improving the techniques for investigating forgeries, counterfeit documents, disguised handwritings, and writing in different languages and character sets. Software that analyzes questioned documents and match documents, authors, and document-generation hardware by handwriting analysis or pattern-recognition algorithms are also areas of interest. Products
Surveillance Technology
Surveillance Technology sponsors projects that produce new and advanced surveillance and tracking techniques for law enforcement. Products work to develop better communication capabilities for tactical operations; improve voice identification and speaker recognition capabilities; and advance credibility assessment interviewing techniques and technologies. Products
Electronic Evidence
Electronic Evidence sponsors projects that develop computer forensic hardware, software, decryption tools, and digital methods to investigate terrorism. Products center on the development of advanced methods to extract and enhance audio recordings and video images from surveillance sources; identify computer systems and media used by terrorists; improve the techniques used to analyze electronic devices for the maximum amount of forensic information. Products
Explosive and Hazardous Materials Examination
Explosive and Hazardous Materials Examination sponsors projects that improve methods for assessing the size, construction, and composition of explosive devices or other energetic hazardous materials. Product focal points identify and analyze explosive residue and other trace evidence present at blast scenes, and develop advanced techniques for post-blast scene and evidence examinations.
Forensic Biochemistry
Forensic Biochemistry sponsors projects that develop analytical methods for biological evidence found at terrorist scenes. Products enhance the use of DNA or other person-specific identifiers to track, identify, or profile persons or other biological material. The use of stable isotope ratios to determine the geographic origin of organic material is also an area of interest.
Friction Ridge and Impression Evidence
Friction Ridge and Impression Evidence sponsors projects that improve latent print and related biometric techniques used in terrorism cases. Products emphasize processes involving that enhance techniques that are tedious, expensive, nonportable, or reliant upon the use of hazardous chemicals. Other areas of interest include creating better visualization and development of latent prints using lasers or more versatile and affordable reagents and the support of better comprehension of latent prints and their molecular content as well as the scientific validation of fingerprint examinations. Products