TECHBeat, April 2016

• NCJ Number: 249859
• Journal: Techbeat Dated: April 2016 Pages: 1-16
• Date Published: April 2016
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2014-IJ-CX-K404
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance; Instructional Material
• Award: A proposal to operate the National Criminal Justice Technology Resource Center.

Annotation

The feature articles in this issue address training that provides a security plan for houses of worship, software tools for DNA mixture interpretation, and revisions of the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) standard for ballistic body armor.

Abstract

"Houses of Worship Training Provides Security Plan Guidelines" describes a training program developed by South Carolina's Newberry County Sheriff's Office to assist houses of worship in creating a safety plan. The demand for this training emerged in the aftermath of the June 2015 shooting in a Charleston church. The training focuses on the development of a comprehensive security plan that encompasses an active shooter, medical emergencies, hazardous weather, and hazardous materials. "Report Examines DNA Mixture Interpretation Software Tools" reviews a report from the National Institute of Justice Forensic Technology Center of Excellence that presents an overview of 13 software tools for interpreting a mixture that contains the DNA from more than one person. This report is intended to be a "one-stop-shop" resource that presents objective profiles of software tools to assist laboratories in deciding what tool is best for their needs. "Draft Revisions to Ballistic Resistant Standard Address Needs of the Field" reviews the focus of the National Institute of Justice's revised standard for ballistic resistant body armor (NIJ Standard-0101.07). The rationale for the revision is that since the introduction of the current standard in 2008, operational needs have changed, and experience in administering the standard has identified areas for potential incremental improvements. The revisions will consist primarily of refinements and clarifications, many of which will impact only the test labs and NIJ's Compliance Testing Program (CTP). Changes that affect law enforcement agencies and officers in the field address protection levels, type of ammunition used in testing, vocabulary refinements, and testing of armor for female officers.