News

The American Board of Criminalistics needs your help!  After many months of preparation, we are ready to offer field testing of our new Seized Drug Analysis examination.  We are seeking candidates to take the field test for the Seized Drug Analysis exam.  There is no application or sitting fee to sit for this field test.  If a candidate successfully completes the examination and wishes to be certified, they only need to pay the application fee, a savings of $250! The ABC needs field testing of new certification exams to help evaluate the exams. 

 

PLEASE NOTE:  We anticipate using electronic testing for this field test.  We are still finalizing the development of this platform.  At this time, we will NOT be allowing the use of MacOS devices.   More information on the examination and the electronic examination process can be found on our Seized Drug Analysis page.

 

If you wish to take the examination, please complete the application form found on our Application Process page.   You do not need to pay any application or examination fees at this time.  We will post offerings on our Offerings page.  Please keep an eye out for offerings.  Once you identify an offering that you wish to attend, please complete the Request for Examination Seat form found on our Application Process page. 

 

We are also seeking hosts for the Seized Drug Analysis examination.  If your agency wishes to host an exam, that can be arranged.   Please review the requirements for hosting examinations.  Due to the technical nature of these offerings, we are requesting that a Local Arrangements Coordinator be identified and complete the necessary checklist prior to requesting an examination.  The links to the checklist and the Request to Host the examination can be found on our Host an Examination page.  At this time, we will not be offering electronic examinations at regional or national forensic meetings or conferences.

 

Please contact the ABC Registrar at abcregistrar@criminalistics.com for more information

Click here for an informational flyer for the 2024 Northwest Association of Forensic Scientists (NWAFS) Virtual Annual Conference. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is performing a research investigation into the exposure of illicit drugs among forensic laboratory workers.  The study aims to measure the unintentional occupational exposure to illicit drugs among public safety workers in forensic laboratories, evaluate the current practices and personal protection equipment utilized, and recommend engineering controls and standard operating procedures to reduce and remove exposures to illicit drugs. Participation is anonymous, voluntary, and is at no cost to the facility.

NIOSH is seeking volunteers who work in forensic laboratories and regularly handle suspected controlled substances. An informational flyer can be found here. If you have questions or are interested in participating, please contact Jennie Cox directly at jcox@cdc.gov or qxi3@cdc.gov.

 

Click here to register for the 2024 MAFS Annual Fall Meeting.

You can find the ABC Spring 2024 newsletter here. If you have any questions regarding the ABC, please reach out to our representative, Danielle Hankinson.

ABC Newsletter - Spring 2024

Greetings MAFS Members,

Are you interested in being more involved with MAFS?  Consider running for one of four open Board of Directors’ offices:

President – Elect

Secretary

Fall Meeting Manager

Member-at-Large

The attachment provides a brief description of duties.  For a full description, refer to the Administrative Rules.

If you or someone you know is interested, please complete the Nomination Form found under the “Resources” tab after you login to the MAFS website (www.MAFS.net). Forms are due by June 15, 2024.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

Respectfully,

Jill Baker

MAFS Past President

Nomination Committee Chair

Jillian.baker@dupagesheriff.org

P: 630-407-2103

The AFQAM Executive Board is pleased to announce the release of the AFQAM Cooperative Training Program! This training program is designed for those new to forensic quality assurance and will provide a key steppingstone to achieving success in the position and with the responsibilities. The training program was developed by experienced forensic quality assurance experts and is broken up into courses that focus on key topics in quality assurance. The first two courses available are ‘Introduction to ISO’ and ‘Accreditation – What Is It Good For?’.

 

The AFQAM Cooperative Training Program is open to everyone, and you do not need to be an AFQAM member to participate. Each course can be purchased individually, and a certificate of completion will be given to the student at the successful completion of the course. The interactive training will keep you engaged, motivated, and eager to learn as you progress through the course.

 

This training program is ideal for those new to quality assurance or interested in quality assurance such as new Quality Manager’s, Technical Leader’s, new hires, or other roles that assist with quality assurance in the laboratory. Whether you are simply seeking to learn more about what the job entails, or seeking tools to help you succeed in your job, this is for you!

 

To review the available courses and register please follow this link: https://afqam.org/cooperative/

 

Additional courses will be released in the near future.

 

For questions, please email contact@afqam.org

Dates: 05/07/2024 - 05/09/2024

Location: Marriott at University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio

Abstract: This 3-day spring workshop will teach attendees how to build and maintain a positive team culture. Through a series of lectures and hands-on activities, they will learn how previous leadership lessons (ie, communication, motivation, growth mindset, followership) contributes to the workplace. The class includes a Ted Lasso Leadership section, The Happy Class, Recognizing a Positive Team and Teambuilding to build a positive team culture. Attendance at previous MAFS Leadership workshops is not necessary, however, content is aimed at employees who are or want to be leaders within their workplace.

Registration: $450 for members and $550 for non-members

REGISTER HERE

Contact: Brooke Ehlers, ehlersb@mcohio.org

138^th CAC Seminar

Spring 2024

Date: April 15-19, 2024

Location: Millennium Biltmore Hotel

   506 South Grand Avenue

   Los Angeles, CA 90071

Theme: Once Upon a Crime in Hollywoodland

Agenda Highlights:

• Panel discussions on emerging technologies in forensics
• Case studies showcasing successful application of forensic methodologies
• Workshops on specialized forensic techniques and tools
• Networking sessions to connect with fellow professionals and researchers 

If you are interested in participating as a speaker, panelist, or workshop facilitator, we kindly request that you complete the Abstract Submission Form by February 1, 2024. Your expertise and insights would be invaluable in enriching the content of the seminar.

For additional information, please see the attached flyer or visit our seminar page at https://www.cacnews.org/events/seminar/seminarcurrent.shtml. Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you to our seminar.

Greetings,

As part of our commitment to bring you quality and relevant exams, we need your help to determine if the knowledge and skills that we are testing are still applicable to your job! Below is a link to a survey which will ask you a series of questions about how frequently a forensic scientist with one year of experience does a task and how important that task is. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will be used to reassess the blueprint of the Foundational Knowledge Examination. 

The survey will list a series of tasks, such as "maintain chain of custody." Ask yourself "how important is it for a forensic scientist with one year of experience to maintain chain of custody? how frequently does a forensic scientist with one year of experience have to maintain chain of custody?"  As you go through the survey, please answer the questions as they pertain to a forensic scientist with one year of experience that works in your lab, not necessarily how they pertain to *you* at your current experience level.

If you have questions about the survey, please contact Audra Yovanovich at examchair@criminalistics.com. Thank you for your support of ABC and we look forward to seeing your responses!

Survey link --> https://form.jotform.com/232757889668179