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  • 09/26/2022 8:29 AM | Anonymous member

    Registration page is now open:


    FORENSICS@NIST 2022 | NIST


    /Robert M. Thompson

  • 12/16/2019 10:14 AM | Anonymous member

    Greetings from Robert Thompson from NIST.

    The research team I managed have released the information on the 3D digital preservation of the JFK ballistic artifacts.  See link to story, photos, and video.

     

    https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/12/kennedy-assassination-bullets-preserved-digital-form

     

    This an example of the emerging technology in Firearm-Toolmark examinations.

     

    /Robert M. Thompson

    Robert.m.thompson@nist.gov

     

  • 09/20/2018 5:37 AM | Anonymous member

    The Forensics@NIST2018 conference now has a landing page with information for registration, agenda, lodging, and visitor access:

     

    https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2018/11/forensics-nist-2018

     

    Please check on this page for updates.

     

    /Robert Thompson (NIST)

  • 02/09/2018 6:59 AM | Anonymous member

    https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2018/02/how-good-match-it-putting-statistics-forensic-firearms-identification

     

    The NIST Firearm Topography Analysis Project Team has been working a number of years in the effort to apply more objective measurements in toolmark comparisons.  This is one story about a recent literature publication about recent advances in our work.

     

    /Robert Thompson  (NIST) 

  • 05/11/2016 3:06 PM | Anonymous member

    Hey CAC group... I pose this inquiry out to all who work in either controlled substance units or could be at risk.

    We have recently (last several months) been receiving both tablet and powder cases that have had fentanyl either as the primary ingredient or is a secondary ingredient.  After attending a training last week hosted by the DEA, which included a chemist with a minor exposure experience, we have decided to go up in arms regarding safety procedures when working our cases, including attempting to convince our safety coordinator to get us a supply of Narcan.

    I have been asked to put out the word to other labs to see what (if anything) you have done or may be doing to address this safety risk.


    Thanks in advance!  
    Rochelle Hranac (Rocki)  

    Forensic Scientist III

    AZ Dept of Public Safety, Central Lab

    Phoenix, AZ 

  • 02/06/2015 8:09 AM | Anonymous member

    July 20-24, 2015, Washington, D.C.

    The  site is live for registration and abstract submission.  The venue and preliminary agenda is also on the site.

     

     http://www.nist.gov/director/international_forensics_home.cfm

     

    Please plan to attend and contribute if you can!

     

    /Robert M. Thompson 

  • 05/01/2013 9:42 AM | Anonymous member

    Hellow, CAC members!  the new handdbook regarding biological evidence preservation has just been published.  The text below is a synopsis of the publication and has links to the publication.

    From NIST Tech Beat: April 30, 2013  Contact: Michael E. Newman (301) 975-3025

    A new handbook by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) provides forensic laboratories, law enforcement agencies and the judicial system with state-of-the-art guidelines and recommended best practices for preserving biological evidence so that it is available at any time to solve “cold cases,” confirm the guilt of criminals or exonerate the innocent.

    Biological evidence refers to two types of evidence commonly recovered from crime scenes or collected during criminal investigations: samples of biological material—blood, semen and other bodily fluids; hair; tissue; bones and teeth—or items containing biological material such as a bloody T-shirt. The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook: Best Practices for Evidence Handlers (NIST Interagency/Internal Report 7928) is designed to help ensure that this evidence has been properly stored to avoid contamination, premature destruction or degradation, and accurately tracked to prevent loss. It was authored and edited by the Technical Working Group on Biological Evidence Preservation, a group of 20 experts from various forensic, law enforcement and scientific disciplines, as well as legal scholars, medical personnel and representatives of relevant professional organizations.

    The handbook is divided into five main sections that explain the issues, offer guidelines and make recommendations related to: 

    • Retention—identifying what biological evidence should be kept and for how long;
    • Safe handling—including the use of protective equipment, the management of spills or accidents, and methods for properly disposing waste;
    • Packaging and storing—outlining the conditions for storage and how to properly package biological evidence to maintain its integrity;
    • Chain of custody and tracking—a review of the different evidence-tracking methods available and procedures for improving all aspects of chain-of-custody recordkeeping; and
    • Disposition—summarizing the best practices for disposing of biological evidence once retention is no longer required by law.

    While most of its recommendations concern the physical storing, preserving and tracking of evidence at a specific storage facility, the handbook also covers transferring material between a storage facility and other locations and discusses how evidence should be handled at these different sites.

    Complementing the five main sections of the handbook are a summary of all recommendations made, a table showing the functions and capabilities of evidence tracking and management systems, a state-by-state listing of evidence retention laws, a sample chain-of-custody report and a glossary.

    NISTIR 7928 may be downloaded at http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2013/NIST.IR.7928.pdf. Print copies are available upon request from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at https://www.ncjrs.gov.

  • 11/12/2012 1:24 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A recent conversation between a member of the CAC Board of Directors and a CAC non-member has led to an addition to our website that, quite frankly, should have already been there. 

    This non-member has given several excellent presentations at our seminars and has a lot of knowledge and experience in dealing with the legal aspects of our work.  But this person is inelligible to be a CAC member because they don't work in the field.  As a consequence, there is no way this person has ever been able to receive our periodic, informative mass emails because they have never had a way to create a CAC account.

    This is a problem no longer!  Now, non-members can create their own CAC account, manage their email subscriptions, and maintain their contact information without even having to have previously registered for an event.  Anyone should be able to keep in touch with the CAC and receive our emails - and now they can!

    Create Your CAC Account Today!

  • 07/25/2012 8:42 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    In the past, it has been somewhat of a confusing process to upgrade your CAC membership from either Provisional or Corresponding Member to Full Member.  You were required to pay your yearly dues at the time of upgrade, even if you had JUST paid your dues a month before.  Also, outside of referencing the By-Laws, you had no readily-available guidance as to what would qualify you to upgrade successfully.  You simply had to click the button, pay the fees, and hope to hear something back.

    We have now simplified the process!  Here are the steps to quickly and easily upgrade to Full Member:

    1. Visit our Upgrade Application Form by Clicking Here.
    2. Complete all info on the form.
    3. Wait a short time to be contacted by the Membership Secretary.
    4. THAT'S IT

    If You Are An Affiliate Member Wishing to Upgrade:

    • The above applies ONLY to upgrades from Provisional or Corresponding Members to Full Member.
    • Affiliate Members wishing to upgrade must apply for Provisional Membership as if they were a Non-Member.
    • If you have any questions about your membership or upgrading, or application status, please contact the Membership Secretary.
  • 12/23/2011 9:50 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    It is a good question!  There is really only one good way to check.  Login to your CAC account by clicking here.  From there, you can check the date that your next dues payment is due.  It will be next to the words "Renewal due on."

    Here are a few things to remember:

    If you first applied for CAC membership anytime after December 1st, your due for the upcoming December 1st are already paid. For example: I applied on 2/5/2011.  That means I don't have to pay dues until 12/1/2012.  Pretty nice, huh??

    • If you are a current member and you upgraded your membership anytime after December 1st and paid the upgrade fee, that counts as your dues that would have been due that December.  For example: I upgraded and paid my $80 on 8/25/2011.  That means I don't have to pay dues until 12/1/2012.

    But if you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

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