Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/143936
EVIDENCE & FORENSICS Here's your handbook on handling biological evidence ID a bruise: accidental trauma vs. child abuse Through the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has made available a technical report on a technology tool to help differentiate accidental trauma from child abuse. This report is the result of an NIJ-funded project, but was not published by the U.S. Department of Justice. "Development of a Surrogate Bruising Detection System to Describe Bruising Patterns Associated with Common Childhood Falls" (pdf, 66 pages), Gina Bertocci, Ph.D., P.E., University of Louisville; Raymond Dsouza, M.S., University of Louisville. Authors' abstracted, edited and excerpted: …The research goal was to design and develop a prototype surrogate bruising detection device having the capability to predict potential bruising patterns in children, when adapted to a test dummy used to simulate common household fall events often stated as false scenarios in child abuse. The project included development of a "sensing skin" that can be adapted to a commercial test dummy representing a 12-month-old child, along with a data acquisition system and software capable of displaying sensor output and location on a 3D representation of a human surrogate. Download the report at www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242018.pdf "'The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence Handlers,' created by the Technical Working Group on Biological Evidence Preservation, offers guidance for individuals involved in the collection, examination, tracking, packaging, storing and disposition of biological evidence. This may include crime scene technicians, law enforcement officers, healthcare professionals, forensic scientists, forensic laboratory managers, evidence supervisors, property managers, storage facility personnel, lawyers, testifying experts, court staff members, and anyone else who may come in contact with biological evidence. While many of the recommendations relate to the physical storage, preservation, and tracking of evidence at the storage facility, this handbook also covers the transfer of the material between the storage facility and other locations, and discusses how the evidence should be handled at these other locations." The National Institute of Standards and Technology Download the full handbook PDF at http://www.nij.gov/pubs-sum/nistbiological-evidence-preservation.htm Palm vein technology Fulcrum Biometrics announced the availability of their FbF Palm Vein Developer Bundle. This suite, which includes the award-winning Fujitsu PalmSecure sensor, FbF Palm Vein bioServer, FbF Listener, and FbF Biometric Controls, reduces the cost and complexity of integrating and deploying the latest palm vein technology into biometric identification projects. Palm vein imaging technology provides a high degree of accuracy, requires no touch contact and is virtually impossible to forge. While it can be deployed in a wide range of applications, the combination of high security and contactless identification make it particularly ideal for banking applications, hospitals, clinics, schools and use in public places where hygiene is of great concern. www.officer.com July 2013 Law Enforcement Technology 17