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First Responder News - November 2012 |
Greetings!
As more of our first responders are getting trained in the basics, we will continue to expand our advanced training classes and guest instructors to further your forensic training. Last week we were thrilled to have LeeAnn Singley present her Bloodstain Pattern Analysis class. The class was intense, with lots of hands-on training and lecture. To view some images from the program, please log on to our Facebook page.
Next year we are bringing in Jan Johnson for an IAI Cert Prep and Buried Body course and Sirchie for a Latent Print Processing class. We are also hoping to bring Mrs. Singley back for another Bloodstain Pattern Analysis course. As we begin planning for 2013, if you have a training interest or program that you would like to see offered, please send us an e-mail (NFTC@northampton.edu) with your suggestions.
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Investigative Tips & Techniques:
DOCUMENTATION OF "TERRY STOPS", "DRIVE BY" IDENTIFICATIONS
Andrew Kehm, D-ABMDI, Detective/Sergeant (Active) BPD FSU, NFTC Program Manager
John Iatarola, Detective (Active) BPD FSU, NFTC Adjunct
"Drive-by Identifications", a technique known well by Law Enforcement and used often is a great investigative tool. This is something done when a suspect is stopped and a victim or witness is brought to identify the person being detained to identify the person as being involved with the crime that had just occurred.
I have repeatedly heard the same line of questioning coming from defense attorney's on the accuracy of the witness and/or victims description of the suspect(s). If there is even a slight variation of the description given by the witness/victim to the suspect stopped, the credibility of the ID can be challenged. It can be difficult to describe the lighting conditions, along with other contributing factors to the jury.
During high stress situations, the victims we encounter suffer from the common effects of "Tunnel Vision and Auditory Exclusion". These symptoms commonly distort the actual description to 100% accuracy. Normally part of the description is correct that gives the initial responders an idea of a general description. Now you make a stop and the person is wearing black denim jeans and not blue jeans, sneakers not boots, but the shirt and hair are the same. <READ MORE> |
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IAI CERTIFICATION TEST PREPARATION CCSI
March 11-13, 2013
The Northeast Forensic Training Center is pleased to welcome highly acclaimed Senior Crime Laboratory Assistant (Ret.), Jan Johnson for an IAI Certification Test Preparation CCSI class. Ms. Johnson has over forty years of forensic experience and has worked with the FBI, FDLE and has testified as an expert witness in several high profile criminal trials.
If you are interested in obtaining CCSI certification, please click here to review the International Association for Identification requirements. For those considering taking the examination at the end of the course, please have your completed application returned 90 days prior to the examination date (Dec. 12, 2012). Please note: there are two textbooks that need to be purchased and read prior to the course start date. Those books can be found by reviewing the requirements listed at the theiai.org website.
This is a program that shouldn't be missed. For participants wishing to take an examination, this is an excellent tutorial and a must for increasing your chances of passing the examination and adding to your credentials and professionalism by adding the certification. Please click here to download the course flyer. | |
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FIRE ARSON INVESTIGATORS ASSOCIATION
Presentation
Andrew Kehm, D-ABMDI
On October 3, 2012, I had the pleasure of presenting a modified presentation to the Lehigh and Northampton County Fire Investigators Training Association. The three hour segment covered the basics in digital photography, which many Fire Officers are using at their scenes for a multitude of reasons. I was surprised at the vast representation of Fire Officers present at this weekly meeting and their attentiveness to the information being covered. Their desire to expand their knowledge base was immediately apparent. Several questions as to how digital photography relates to their profession and meets the standards acceptable by the Criminal Justice System were asked and discussed. | |
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 IN THE NEWS
Pinpointing accuracy: research helps solidify evidence
in court
phys.org
In courts throughout the world for the past hundred years, fingerprint experts have been deciding whether or not a print collected at a crime scene matches that of the person suspected of the crime. But in the U.S. adversarial court system, the opinion of fingerprint examiners has often been challenged over the past two decades by the lawyer for the accused personia.
<READ MORE>
Forensic Healthcare: Understanding the Links in the Chain of Evidence - event recap
northampton.edu
On a July 16, 2011, at 7:30 in the evening, Eleanor Levie was in her kitchen washing out a gardening pail when someone crept up from behind her and choked her unconscious. The assault left her with a broken larynx and resulted in three days in intensive care.
<READ MORE>
As seen on TV: "CSI" versus forensic science
northwestern.edu
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and other TV dramas have created unrealistic expectations that can swing jurors, law enforcement officials say. Defendants may walk free in cases that should be slam-dunk convictions.
<READ MORE>
DNA testing on 'edge of breakthrough'
policeoracle.com
DNA testing is on the verge of a breakthrough that has the potential to provide investigators with results in just a few hours, rather than weeks.
<READ MORE> |
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THE STUDENT'S CORNER: Excited Delirium
Ryan Easterwood, DeSales University
 | | Excited Delirium on Wa. Most Wanted |
When a suspect is in police custody and suddenly dies, the first assumption people make is there must have been misuse of force on the side of the police. Police brutality does exist but there is another explanation for this sudden death. Excited delirium refers to individuals in a state of temporary mental confusion and clouded consciousness who display unusual, bizarre behavior and may be emotionally charged, under the influence of a drug, mentally ill, or affected by a combination of these factors (Parent, 19). With this description, a person acting in excited delirium sounds dangerous, right? When a person is out-of-control in excited delirium, the police must use force in order to restrain the person. It is in this restraining that a number of factors cause the sudden death of the person. What exactly is excited delirium? Does excited delirium really exist or is it just a scapegoat for the police who use excessive force? These questions, and more, arise as we learn more about excited delirium. This paper will aim to describe what exactly excited delirium is, what biological factors, if any, contribute to excited delirium, and what the police can do to avoid the sudden death associated with excited delirium. <READ MORE> | |
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