News

Attached is the Spring newsletter from the American Board of Criminalistics.

Spring Newsletter 

This course has been developed for forensic practitioners with expertise in the analysis of paint. Course content will include discussion of the different paint formulations used for a variety of coatings applications, data analysis, and interpretation as well as report writing. Included in this 4.5 day class is a 2 day session on the use of the Paint Data Query (PDQ) database for sourcing OEM automotive paint. Access to PDQ will be provided for the workshop and practical exercises will be discussed to better familiarize attendees with the use of the database. There will also be practical exercises designed to provide examples of different paint systems for microscopical examination. The Advanced PDQ Workshop is recommended for forensic scientists with automotive paint experience and should be familiar with both the RCMP PDQi software and Wiley (formerly Bio -Rad) KnowItAll™ Software. This course will include spectral interpretation of common binders/resins as well as recognition of peak patterns/combinations, Layer System Query Searches, Fill-In-The-Blank Searches, KnowItAll searches (including the multi-layer search function), best practices for searching. Participants will be completing PDQ exercises and are welcome to bring their own unknown case.

Computer Requirements: 

A laptop with Windows XP or newer is required. Participants must have the PDQ program as well as the KnowItAll search software installed on their computer. Administrative rights are recommended. Anyone without current access to the PDQ program is asked to contact the PDQ Team (PDQ@rcmp-grc.gc.ca ) prior to registering for the workshop. 

This Workshop can only accommodate 20 students.  A waitlist will be available for those who cannot get on the initial list.

Dates: June 5, 2023 - June 9, 2023

Pricing: Spring Workshop Pass (member-$400.00) (non-member-$500.00)

Register Here

The Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs (SWGDRUG) is looking to fill the MAFS representative position in the SWGDRUG core committee.  The candidate should represent the general interests of the MAFS community and bring their experience and knowledge to this very diverse group. Ideally, the candidate is still active in casework, either as an analyst, immediate supervisor, or quality assurance expert.  More information about SWGDRUG and what they do can be found on their website at www.swgdrug.org.

Below is a list of responsibilities for the representative:

·         Attend annual in-person SWGDRUG meetings (the next SWGDRUG meeting is scheduled for the week of June 26 in Chicago, IL)

·         Provide a short update on their respective forensic organization during in-person SWGDRUG meetings

·         Active participation during drafting and revision of SWGDRUG products (this may include in-person as well as virtual tasks between meetings)

·         Provide SWGDRUG updates to their respective forensic organizations (electronically and preferably in-person during their annual meetings)

Should you have any questions about the responsibilities of being a member of the SWGDRUG core committee, please email Dr. Sandra Rodriguez-Cruz (SWGDRUG@dea.gov) or Mr. Chris Matchett (christian.c.matchett2.civ@army.mil).

If interested, submit a letter of interest and your resume to MAFS President, Jillian Baker, at jillian.baker@dupagesheriff.org by Friday, March 17, 2023.  The MAFS Board of Directors will review applicants and submit the top candidates to SWGDRUG for consideration.

Please find a link to the latest SWGDRUG Bulletin here: SWGDRUG Bulletins

MAFS Chats are virtual roundtable discussions lead by the Section Coordinators and available to MAFS members.  The following schedule is subject to change.  The Zoom meeting information will be emailed to you for MAFS chats related to your primary section. 

 

Toxicology

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

 

Chemistry

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Wednesday, July 19, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

 

Latent Prints

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 @ 1100 Central / 1200 Eastern

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 @ 1100 Central / 1200 Eastern

 

Biology

Monday, March 13, 2023 @ 1130 Central / 1230 Eastern

Monday, June 19, 2023 @ 1130 Central / 1230 Eastern

 

Crime Scene

Wednesday, February 15, 2023 @ 1400 Central / 1500 Eastern

 

Trace

Friday, March 3, 2023 @ 1100 Central / 1200 Eastern

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 @ 1100Central / 1200 Eastern

 

Questioned Documents

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 @ 1300Central / 1400 Eastern

 

Management

Wednesday, March 15, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Wednesday, September 13, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

Wednesday, December 13, 2023 @ 1300 Central / 1400 Eastern

The Kansas Division of the IAI presents the 2023 Educational Conference, “Basic to Advanced Investigative Techniques”, on April 24th-26th in Wichita, Kansas. This 2 ½ day conference includes hands-on workshops, educational lectures, and case studies from law enforcement and forensic scientists across the state. Students, members of law enforcement, and laboratory personnel are encouraged to attend regardless of membership status.

See attached flyer for schedule and registration information.

You can also visit: https://www.kansasiai.org/event-4952084 or www.kansasiai.org for more information and for registration.

 

Any questions can be directed to Jay Wessel at the KBI Forensic Science Laboratory or any KDIAI Board Member.

Jay Wessel: jay.wessel@kbi.ks.gov

www.KansasIAI.org

KansasDivisionIAI@gmail.com

Greetings from the American Board of Criminalistics,

We are convening a panel of Subject Matter Experts (SME) to determine the cut score on our new examination – Foundational Knowledge Exam (FKE). The cut score of an exam is the lowest score a test taker can get and still pass the examination. This exam was written to assess the competency of a person with at least one year of experience analyzing or processing evidence for a Forensic Science Service Provider (FSSP).  

To help us determine the cut score, we are looking for experts who are involved in training new forensic scientists in any discipline of criminalistics and determining whether a trainee is competent in their respective discipline– e. g., hands-on part of training, evaluation of trainees for competence, etc. You do not need to be a supervisor or manager to participate. As a member of the panel, you will be asked to define a forensic scientist who is considered minimally competent and your experience as a trainer will be critical. If chosen, you will work on the panel with the guidance of a facilitator via Zoom. A person acting as a Security Liaison (SL) will be with you in-person to provide the materials you need and manage the security of the testing materials. You may be asked to travel a short distance to your SL’s location. Any travel expenses incurred will be paid by ABC.  If you are selected for the panel, you may not sit for the FKE examination for five years.

Panelists who are ABC-certified will receive 3 point towards recertification; however, you do not need to be a current ABC certificant to participate. The panel discussion is anticipated to take approximately 8 hours, and there will be reading assigned in advance. Please take a moment to fill out the survey found via this link:

Prospective Subject Matter Expert Survey

On Tuesday, August 22 through Friday, August 25, 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will be hosting an Advanced Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist course.

This course is designed for analysts working in public forensic laboratories with more than three years of experience in conducting fire debris casework. This course will expand upon the topics covered in the ATF’s Introductory Fire Debris Analysis for the Forensic Chemist course, providing additional tools and considerations for fire debris analysis, as well as introducing concepts in fire investigations. The Introductory class is not a prerequisite for the Advanced class.   There is no tuition for the course, but participant’s agency must cover all travel and per diem costs.

If interested, please fill out the attached application and submit to the email listed on the bottom of the application. 

The deadline for application submission is April 1, 2023.

Application form - ATF Advanced Fire Debris Analysis Course 2023.pdf

The American Board of Criminalistics is in the process of developing a new exam, Seized Drugs Analysis. The first step to developing an exam is to create a Job/Task analysis in which experts, like you, get together and talk about how they do their job. We convened this panel at the Clandestine Laboratory Investigating Chemists Association annual conference in September and a panel of your peers developed what is called a DACUM chart outlining your day-to-day tasks. You will find this DACUM chart attached. (See Below)

Now we need your help! As the second step to exam development, we must verify that the information captured in the DACUM accurately reflects the job that you are doing every day.  Please fill out the survey below and tell us if the activities described are important to your job and if so, how frequently you do them. This will ensure that we are developing an exam that will be relevant and reflective of the discipline.

Seized Drugs Analysis Survey

Thank you for your participation!

Seized Drugs Analysis DACUM

Calling all Forensic Biologists! 

As part of the ongoing maintenance of our Biological Evidence Screening and Forensic DNA examinations, the American Board of Criminalistics must periodically review our examination blueprints to ensure that our exams are relevant to the discipline.

Please fill out the survey below and tell us if the activities described are important to your job and if so, how frequently you do them. At the start of the survey you will be given the opportunity to select your area of expertise. You may answer questions related to Biological Evidence Screening, Forensic DNA, or both. Please select the area(s) in which you have technical expertise.

Forensic Biology Survey

Thank you for your participation!

Please see this flyer by the ASCLD Forensic Research Committee.