Case based reasoning in criminal intelligence using forensic case data.

A model that is based on the knowledge of experienced investigators in the analysis of serial crime is suggested to bridge a gap between technology and methodology. Its purpose is to provide a solid methodology for the analysis of serial crimes that supports decision making in the deployment of resources, either by guiding proactive policing operations or helping the investigative process. Formalisation has helped to derive a computerised system that efficiently supports the reasoning processes in the analysis of serial crime. This novel approach fully integrates forensic science data.     

The contribution of forensic science to crime analysis and investigation: forensic intelligence

The debate in forensic science concentrates on issues such as standardisation, accreditation and de-contextualisation, in a legal and economical context, in order to ensure the scientific objectivity and efficiency that must guide the process of collecting, analysing, interpreting and reporting forensic evidence. At the same time, it is recognised that forensic case data is still poorly integrated into the investigation and the crime analysis process, despite evidence of its great potential in various situations and studies. A change of attitude is needed in order to accept an extended role for forensic science that goes beyond the production of evidence for the court. To stimulate and guide this development, a long-term intensive modelling activity of the investigative and crime analysis process that crosses the boundaries of different disciplines has been initiated. A framework that fully integrates forensic case data shows through examples the capital accumulated that may be put to use systematically.     

Inference structures for crime analysis and intelligence: the example of burglary using forensic science data

There has been much work dedicated to crime analysis and intelligence in recent times. Independently, physical evidence has shown great potential for linking crimes and bringing solid informative data through the increased use of multiple databases. However, their informative potential is still often underestimated and has been poorly integrated into police information systems. We propose a framework that fully introduces this data into an intelligence based system. This framework is built on the study of inference structures extracted from investigators’ every day implicit reasoning processes. Five specific inferences are studied with the particular problem of serial burglary investigation across independent police and legal structures. On the basis of such an analytical approach, a computer prototype has been designed; it has shown great promise and has resulted in several operational successes.     

Transnational organized crime and gun violence. A case for firearm forensic intelligence sharing

A threat to the safety of citizens in any country, the criminal misuse of firearms presents a wider danger to a nation's security, peace, stability and development. Firearms and their related evidence know no borders. It is not uncommon to find the murder weapon from a shooting in one city ending up in another city, country, or continent. No country remains unaffected by firearm violence. This paper describes how transnational organized crime and gun violence are interrelated, and makes the case for the international sharing of firearm forensic intelligence through Interpol's IBIN Program as an integral component of an intelligence-led policing strategy to combat cross-border gun related crime. With such a strategy in place, internationally mobile criminals who use firearms to further their illicit activities can no longer escape detection.     

The collation of forensic DNA case data into a multi-dimensional intelligence database

The primary aim of any DNA Database is to link individuals to unsolved offenses and unsolved offenses to each other via DNA profiling. This aim has been successfully realised during the operation of the New Zealand (NZ) DNA Databank over the past five years. The DNA Intelligence Project (DIP), a collaborative project involving NZ forensic and law enforcement agencies, interrogated the forensic case data held on the NZ DNA databank and collated it into a functional intelligence database. This database has been used to identify significant trends which direct Police and forensic personnel towards the most appropriate use of DNA technology. Intelligence is being provided in areas such as the level of usage of DNA techniques in criminal investigation, the relative success of crime scene samples and the geographical distribution of crimes. The DIP has broadened the dimensions of the information offered through the NZ DNA Databank and has furthered the understanding and investigative capability of both Police and forensic scientists. The outcomes of this research fit soundly with the current policies of 'intelligence led policing', which are being adopted by Police jurisdictions locally and overseas.     

An extreme case of undoing and posing in a case of murder-suicide. A forensic pathological approach to crime scene investigation

A 7-year-old boy was killed by his father by manual strangulation during a murder-suicide. After the killing of the son, the father showed typical "undoing" behaviour: He changed the boy's clothes and laid him down on the bed. Then he placed candles around his head, put pictures of the parents' wedding around him and a crucifix and a picture of the family into his hands. He broke off a rose in a vase next to the bed, lit the candles and took photographs of his dead son. Later he called his wife, threatened to kill the son and finally called the police to confess the murder and to announce his forthcoming suicide.     

A forensic science perspective on the role of images in crime investigation and reconstruction

This article presents a global vision of images in forensic science. The proliferation of perspectives on the use of images throughout criminal investigations and the increasing demand for research on this topic seem to demand a forensic science-based analysis. In this study, the definitions of and concepts related to material traces are revisited and applied to images, and a structured approach is used to persuade the scientific community to extend and improve the use of images as traces in criminal investigations. Current research efforts focus on technical issues and evidence assessment. This article provides a sound foundation for rationalising and explaining the processes involved in the production of clues from trace images. For example, the mechanisms through which these visual traces become clues of presence or action are described. An extensive literature review of forensic image analysis emphasises the existing guidelines and knowledge available for answering investigative questions (who, what, where, when and how). However, complementary developments are still necessary to demystify many aspects of image analysis in forensic science, including how to review and select images or use them to reconstruct an event or assist intelligence efforts. The hypothetico-deductive reasoning pathway used to discover unknown elements of an event or crime can also help scientists understand the underlying processes involved in their decision making. An analysis of a single image in an investigative or probative context is used to demonstrate the highly informative potential of images as traces and/or clues. Research efforts should be directed toward formalising the extraction and combination of clues from images. An appropriate methodology is key to expanding the use of images in forensic science.     

简论侦查终结对疑案的处理

由于现行刑诉法对侦查终结疑案的处理并无规定,导致侦查实践中“疑案从挂”、勉为其难地提出起诉意见这些或者违反法律规定、或者规避法律的情形始终存在。本文从剖析刑诉法对侦查终结规定的立法缺陷入手,对侦查终结疑案处理的基本条件及价值进行了论述。     

Criminal justice faculty and criminal justice students: A case for the missing data

This article reviews the most current criminal justice education research. It examines the interrelationship between the work of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the Joint Commission on Criminology and Criminal Justice Education and Standards, and the National Advisory Commission on Higher Education for Police, and describes and compares some of their more important findings. Discussed are types of criminal justice programs; characteristics of criminal justice faculty, particularly in terms of earned academic degrees; agency work experience; commitment to research and teaching; types of criminal justice curricula, as typified by certain educational philosophies; and criminal justice students. Although this article notes several areas with which future research might become fruitfully involved, the area in need of most immediate attention, and the area that current research has all but ignored, is the criminal justice student.     

Discrimination between sediment and soil samples for forensic purposes using elemental data: an investigation of particle size effects

This paper reports the results of an investigation to quantify variations in elemental concentrations amongst different particle size fractions obtained from a suite of sediment samples collected from the River Avon, UK. Concentrations of 49 elements determined by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-AES and ICP-MS) were compared using conventional and multivariate statistical methods in order to assess compositional differences between different size fractions and between different samples. The results showed significant differences between different size fractions and the bulk sediments, but indicated that all of the size fractions considered (<150, 63-150, 20-63 and <20microm) provided an adequate basis on which to identify associations and differences between samples. It was concluded that, while in certain specific circumstances it may be most appropriate to make forensic comparisons based on a very narrowly defined particle size range, for the majority of purposes the <150microm fraction provides the best compromise between sample size requirements and data resolution.     

The Banco Ambrosiano case: An investigation into the underestimation of the relations between organized and economic crime

Moving from theAmbrosiano case, the paper aims to analyse the links existing between organized crime and economic crime, showing the patterns of relations and highlighting the weaknesses and strengths of both forms of crime as they interact with each other. The paper also underline the peculiarity of such relations in the Italian criminal situation, which is characterised by deep, strong and long-standing connections between organized crime and economic crime. This relation, which has been ignored or at least underestimated for years, has recently started to be partially uncovered and recognised in the investigations concerning the collapse of theAmbrosiano and the death of its president, Roberto Calvi. Further proof has also been provided in other cases, such as the inquiries of the Parliamentary Committee on the Masonic LodgeP2 and the investigations carried out by Sicilian judges on some Mafia families, thanks to the information provided by witnesses belonging to Cosa Nostra.As for Sindona the same people-still just as gready for money-act on my behalf: friends if you pay; enemies if you don't ... (Roberto Calvi).     

Applying a forensic approach to incident response,network investigation and system administration using Digital Evidence Bags

This paper questions the current approach to forensic incident response and network investigations. Although claiming to be ‘forensic’ in nature it shows that the basic processes and mechanisms used in traditional computer forensics are rarely applied in the live incident investigation arena. This paper demonstrates how the newly proposed Digital Evidence Bag (DEB) storage format can be applied to a dynamic environment. A DEB is a universal container for digital evidence from any source. It allows the provenance to be recorded and continuity to be maintained throughout the life of the investigation. With a small amount of forethought a forensically rigorous approach can be applied to incident response, network investigations and system administration with minimal overhead.     

A preliminary investigation into the use of testate amoebae for the discrimination of forensic soil samples

We present the results of an initial investigation into the efficacy of using testate amoebae for the discrimination of soils from wet ground and puddles, as little attention has been given to these organisms in forensic science. The preservation of testate amoebae in these sediments is generally good, although test concentrations are low. Statistical analysis suggests that testate amoebae assemblages are somewhat spatially distinct and have potential to be used for soil discrimination. A case study is presented where mineralogical (X-ray diffraction) and testate amoebae analyses are used in conjunction to clarify the scene of crime in a ‘cold case’ murder enquiry. Testate amoebae were recovered from dried sediment residues on clothing 10 years after the murder. Despite these promising results, further experimental work is crucial to examine the spatial and temporal variation of amoebae assemblages in water films, wet ground and puddles before they can be added to the armoury of methods available to the forensic biologist.     

The decomposition and graphical analysis of crime and sanctions data: A cross-national application

This article attempts to illustrate the utility of isoquant map analysis from the field of production theory in microeconomics for the analysis of criminal justice data. Cross-national comparisons of aggregate crime and justice data are used to demonstrate the ability of this technique to reveal important patterns that are often obscured by simple rate comparisons and multivariate treatments such as pooled time-series analysis. For each jurisdiction, aggregate trends in criminal justice processing rates are systematically analyzed as a sequence of two-input production processes: gross imprisonment rates (prison population divided by resident population) can be partitioned in terms of the crime rate and punitiveness (prison population divided by the number of offenses); punitiveness can, in turn, be partitioned in terms of severity and certainty of punishment; certainty of punishment can then be partitioned, seriatim, in terms of the incarceration rate, the conviction rate, and the arrest or clearance rate and the rate at which citizens report crimes. Cross-national data collected by Farrington, Langan, and Wikström are used to illustrate the utility of the method for displaying comparisons of the decomposition of aggregate criminal justice data for the United States, England, and Sweden.     

A rational approach to the principles and practice of crime scene investigation: I. Principles.

This paper proposes a structured approach to crime scene investigation that may be applied to the wider aspects of criminal investigation. The approach is an adaptation of the hypotheticodeductive method. The investigator begins with observation of the scene leading to a cycle of hypotheses creation and testing with other information being supplied only after the initial scene examination and hypotheses creation. The recording of observation, hypotheses creation and testing, and information received creates an audit trail of the investigative process. The method seeks to minimise observer bias by providing a rational and recorded approach to crime scene investigation.     

Cooperation between criminal investigators and forensic medicine. A complementary system and its peculiarities, illustrated by a case from general practice

Usually criminal investigations involving issues of medical misconduct require comprehensive inquiries which normally include the confiscation of medical files and the determination of certain events in their chronological order. This information is then submitted to the relevant experts as a basis for preparing their opinions. Where the subject of the investigations is complex, however, or where no suitable patient documentations are available, cooperation with the medical experts should start at an earlier stage already and be more comprehensive. On the basis of the relevant legal principles an already concluded investigation ("dietary capsule case") is critically discussed.     

An investigation into the use of calculating the first derivative of absorbance spectra as a tool for forensic fibre analysis.

A range of fibre samples was measured using J&M MSP400 and J&M MSP800 microspectrophotometers across the visible and UV/visible wavelength ranges respectively. The first derivative of the absorbance spectra was then calculated and studied. When the absorbance spectra produced for some samples were broad and featureless, the first derivative spectra provided more points of comparison that facilitated discrimination. For many of the samples, calculating the first derivative did not result in any additional discrimination due to the high number of points of comparison present in the absorbance spectra. However, for the samples that exhibited a high level of intra-sample colour variation (e.g. through uneven dye uptake common in cotton and wool, etc.), which was evident in the absorbance spectra, the associated first derivative spectra highlighted this variation between the fibres and could potentially have resulted in false exclusions. The results show that whilst calculating first derivative can be a useful aid in the comparison of spectra, a high degree of caution is required when applying this method to fibres which exhibit a large intra-sample variation in colour.     

A method of orientation of skull and camera for use in forensic photographic investigation

The ability to obtain accurate superimposition of the image of the teeth from ante- and post-mortem dentitions is a prerequisite of photographic superimposition. A prototype skull and camera holder is described that enables this to be achieved quickly and simply. The position of the skull relative to the attitude of the face in the photograph can then be documented and hence reproduced as required.     

A preliminary study into the impact of using three-dimensional models in forensic anthropology learning and teaching

Forensic anthropology has traditionally relied on two-dimensional (2D) images, such as photographs and sketches, to perform analyses, and disseminate findings. However, as 3D imaging technology advances, it has become more widely implemented into forensic anthropology analysis and practice. Teaching and learning in forensic anthropology still often relies on 2D images, but increasingly three-dimensional (3D) models are available to be used by students training in anatomy and osteology. Additionally, 3D models have been found to be beneficial to comprehension in other contexts within forensic anthropology, such as in the courtroom. The use of these models in the teaching of forensic anthropology is not yet widely implemented and more importantly, the impact on learning is not yet understood. The use of 3D imaging and visualisation in other educational contexts has seen positive results, for example in medical training. To explore this further, a study was conducted using an online activity to compare the comprehension scores of students educated using 2D textbook style images or 3D models on Sketchfab. The results showed that the use of 3D images was not detrimental to comprehension. Students using the 3D models were more consistent in their performance and reported an increase in confidence regardless of prior experience. The results of this study are of particular importance when distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic which means that students cannot always learn in a laboratory environment.