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Evidence analysis and processing

Impression, Pattern & Trace Evidence Research & Development: Presentations at the 2024 R&D Symposium

September 2024

The NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium is an open meeting where attendees can learn about NIJ-funded research across a variety of forensic science areas. This is one of five videos from the 2024 symposium, which was held September 19, 2024.

The Accuracy, Repeatability, and Reproducibility of Firearms/Toolmarks Comparisons

January 2022

This video is one of 12 from the recorded at the Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence January 11–14, 2022. Video includes welcome remarks and a keynote address by Erich Smith, FBI Laboratory. The symposium included presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to recent advances in firearm and toolmark examination with a focus on the future. 

NIJ's Forensic Intelligence Initiative - Using Forensics for Crime Disruption and Prevention

January 2022

This video, a presentation by NIJ's Jonathan McGrath and Basia Lopez, is one of 12 from the recorded at the Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence January 11–14, 2022. The symposium included presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to recent advances in firearm and toolmark examination with a focus on the future. 

Crime Gun Intelligence Revolution: Day 3 Keynote at the Firearm & Toolmarks Policy & Practice Forum

January 2022

This video is one of 12 from the recorded at the Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence January 11–14, 2022. This video includes welcoming remarks and the day keynote address by Thomas Chittum, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The symposium included presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to recent advances in firearm and toolmark examination with a focus on the future. 

Impact of Advances in Computer Science, Statistics & Engineering on Firearms & Toolmarks Examination

January 2025

This video is one of 12 from the recorded at the Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence January 11–14, 2022. This video includes a brief introduction and the keynote from day 2, which focused on emerging technologies. 

Support for Firearms and Toolmarks R&D at the National Institute of Justice

January 2022

This video, a presentation by Gregory Dutton, Ph.D., is one of 12 from the recorded at the Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence January 11–14, 2022. The symposium included presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to recent advances in firearm and toolmark examination with a focus on the future. 

Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum - Welcome and Keynote

January 2022

This video is one of 12 from the recorded at the Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence January 11–14, 2022.  Included are welcome message and keynote presentation "A Review of Scientific Foundations of Firearm Examination and Related Research," Theodore Vorburger, National Institute of Standards and Technology. The symposium included presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to recent advances in firearm and toolmark examination with a focus on the future. 

Scientific Foundation and the State of Firearms and Toolmark Research: Presentations & Expert Panel

January 2022

This video is one of 12 from the recorded at the Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence January 11–14, 2022. Day 1 focused on Scientific Foundation and the State of Firearms and Toolmark Research. 

Presentations include:

Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum

The symposium included presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to recent advances in firearm and toolmark examination with a focus on the future. The symposium brought together 685 criminal justice professionals to explore implementation of three-dimensional (3D) imaging technologies, best practices for forensic examination of firearm and toolmark evidence, federal initiatives, gun crime intelligence, black box studies on firearm and toolmark examination, legal challenges...

Evaluating a Statistical Method for Comparison of Mass Spectra of Novel Psychoactive Substance

July 2024

Identification of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) based on comparisons of electron-ionization (EI) mass spectra continues to pose challenges in seized drug analysis. In this webinar, a method to statistically compare EI mass spectra is described, and an application of the method to distinguish several structural and positional isomers of NPS analogs are demonstrated.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 25, 2024. 

FBI Laboratory Decision Analysis Studies in Pattern Evidence Examinations

March 2024

This presentation explores a series of research studies aimed at assessing the accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility of forensic pattern evidence examination decisions across various disciplines, including latent prints, firearms, shoeprints, and handwriting.  Key topics covered include a comprehensive overview of the design factors in these four large-scale research studies, as well as a response to common critical observations regarding the experimental design and the interpretation of results.