The approach of the New Zealand forensic scientist

Laboratory findings can be used by the police to guide their investigations, to clear the innocent or to indicate guilt in court proceedings. Although called by the prosecution the forensic scientist is in court to tell the whole truth and present impartial evidence to assist the court. His evidence should be clear to lay persons. The challenge of problems arising from daily work can extend the best scientists.     

Privatising the green police: the role of NGOs in wildlife law enforcement

This article examines the role of NGOs in wildlife law enforcement, drawing on empirical research conducted within UK environmental law enforcement but also drawing on a review of the academic literature and policy debates concerning NGOs and pressure group activity. It examines the theoretical basis for NGO actions and different policy perspectives, the ideologies employed by NGO's and how these manifest themselves in law enforcement policies and practice. While the focus of this essay is UK and US NGO activity with its professional enforcement activity and policy networks, the impact of wildlife and environmental NGOs is significant in a range of jurisdictions and is a vital component in effective policing of wildlife legislation.     

The role of the forensic pathologist in the investigation of fatal traffic accidents — The Finnish system

In Finland about one-half of the fatal traffic accidents are investigated by special Boards of Inquiry. The cumulating data serves multidisciplinary sciences, juridical and insurance purposes and legislation. The participating physicians benefit from the systematic work of the Boards in many ways. As an example of the results a list of causes of accidents is shown.     

Massively parallel sequencing and the emergence of forensic genomics: Defining the policy and legal issues for law enforcement

Use of DNA in forensic science will be significantly influenced by new technology in coming years. Massively parallel sequencing and forensic genomics will hasten the broadening of forensic DNA analysis beyond short tandem repeats for identity towards a wider array of genetic markers, in applications as diverse as predictive phenotyping, ancestry assignment, and full mitochondrial genome analysis. With these new applications come a range of legal and policy implications, as forensic science touches on areas as diverse as ‘big data’, privacy and protected health information. Although these applications have the potential to make a more immediate and decisive forensic intelligence contribution to criminal investigations, they raise policy issues that will require detailed consideration if this potential is to be realised. The purpose of this paper is to identify the scope of the issues that will confront forensic and user communities.     

Overcoming the benchmark problem in estimating bias in traffic enforcement: the use of automatic traffic enforcement cameras

Objectives

The existence of bias in law enforcement can be difficult to verify or disprove, in part because of the difficulty of finding a benchmark—an objective estimate of actual offenses committed by the studied population—that can be compared with police enforcement. In the current study, we propose and test a method for examining bias in enforcement of speeding offenses.

Method

Using all speeding tickets issued in Israel in 2013–2015, we compare speeding tickets generated by stationary automatic traffic cameras, which provide an objective estimate of speed offenses, with speeding tickets issued manually by police officers, based on drivers’ ethnicity with further distribution by gender and age.

Results

Initial findings indicate that, overall, speeding tickets issued by police officers in Israel are not biased based on drivers’ ethnicity.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of distinguishing between overrepresentation and bias in law enforcement, which sometimes seem to be blurred in the literature.

     

论反垄断法执法主体的设置——从执法权分配角度分析

市场经济的核心在于维护一个公平有效的竞争机制。而反垄断法因其在保护、促进竞争和维护市场秩序方面起着基础和统领作用．被誉为“经济宪法”。徒法不足以自行,光有一部精良先进的法律条文是不够的,还得通过法的实施．方能实现法的效果。在法律实施机构之间划分执法权．是法律实施体制中其他制度运行的前提,对于法律的有效实施有着重要的意义。本文主要从执法权划分角度探讨反垄断法实施体制中执法主体的设置,以及执法机构与行业监管机构在反垄断监管领域内的关系,通过比较国外的法律规定及实践,并对我国实施不久的《反垄断法》进行评述．综合分析中国现有反垄断执法主体执法权分配中存在的问题,进而提出完善我国现有反垄断执法主体体制的建议一     

Human hair histogenesis for the mitochondrial DNA forensic scientist.

Analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence from human hairs has proven to be a valuable complement to traditional hair comparison microscopy in forensic cases when nuclear DNA typing is not possible. However, while much is known about the specialties of hair biology and mtDNA sequence analysis, there has been little correlation of individual information. Hair microscopy and hair embryogenesis are subjects that are sometimes unfamiliar to the forensic DNA scientist. The continual growth and replacement of human hairs involves complex cellular transformation and regeneration events. In turn, the analysis of mtDNA sequence data can involve complex questions of interpretation (e.g., heteroplasmy and the sequence variation it may cause within an individual, or between related individuals. In this paper we review the details of hair developmental histology, including the migration of mitochondria in the growing hair, and the related interpretation issues regarding the analysis of mtDNA data in hair. Macroscopic and microscopic hair specimen classifications are provided as a possible guide to help forensic scientists better associate mtDNA sequence heteroplasmy data with the physical characteristics of a hair. These same hair specimen classifications may also be useful when evaluating the relative success in sequencing different types and/or forms of human hairs. The ultimate goal of this review is to bring the hair microscopist and forensic DNA scientist closer together, as the use of mtDNA sequence analysis continues to expand.     

Acute dissociative responses in law enforcement officers involved in critical shooting incidents: the clinical and forensic implications

The authors examine the prevalence of acute traumatic dissociative responses in a group of 115 law enforcement officers involved in critical incidents. Law enforcement officers were retrospectively surveyed for the presence of dissociative symptoms at the time of the critical incident, as well as for the presence of acute stress symptoms and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results show that 90% of the officers reported experiencing a dissociative response during the critical incident. Thirty percent meet the Dissociative Criterion B of acute stress disorder under the DSM-IV. The mean number of dissociative symptoms in this group was two and one-half. In addition, 19% of the law enforcement officers reported varying forms of memory impairment for details of the incident. There were no reports of amnesia for the entire event. The clinical, forensic, and legal implications of these preliminary findings are discussed in this paper.     

An experimental validation study of the SASSI: Predicting alcohol related behavior in law enforcement applicants

This investigation evaluated the validity and utility of two versions of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI, SASSI-2; Miller, 1988, 1996) for determining alcohol related risks among law enforcement applicants. Three hundred and seventy applicants were assessed in two separate studies to determine the degree to which SASSI classification corresponds with self-reported a) number of drinks per month, b) admissions to having recently driven while intoxicated, and c) adminissions to having ever been worried about one's drinking behavior. Analyses revealed a pattern of poor discrimination for both versions of the SASSI, raising concerns regarding its use as a clinical assessment tool.     

论行政执法的精神追寻——兼论我国行政执法理念的创新

行政执法作为任何法治国家中所广泛存在的一种政府行为,其对于推进整个国家和社会的文明、进步与和谐具有不可替代的作用。而行政文明作为政府行政执法行为的精神追寻所在,对其具有重要的指引和评价作用,遵循行政文明的精神有助于行政执法行为在不断的检点和矫正中沿着"善"的轨道运行。我国政府应当以行政文明这一精神为引领,积极推进行政执法理念创新,实现政府的自我再造。     

The organizational values of law enforcement agencies: The impact of field training officers in the socialization of police recruits to law enforcement organizations

This article examines how the values communicated by Field Training Officers (FTOs) influence the behaviors of police recruits to conform to the norms of the police culture. Analysis and interpretation of the written responses of police recruits to a program evaluation form in a police department located in the western United States were used to identify the explicit and implicit values that were communicated during the Field Training Program (FTP). The findings of this study indicated that although positive explicit values were communicated during the FTP, several potentially negative implicit values were also communicated to police recruits. Consequently, the perceived status of the FTO is an important factor in police recruits learning job-related values. Recommendations are made for developing effective leadership strategies for bringing greater levels of congruency between the explicit and implicit values of law enforcement organizations that are communicated to police recruits during the training process and organizational socialization. Author Note: Wade Engelson is a lieutenant with the Fresno Police Department. He has been with the department for 12 years and is currently assigned as the Commander of the Special Investigations Bureau. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business/Economics and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Fresno. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of California, Davis/California State University, Fresno Joint Doctoral Program. He has taught in a variety of settings and has published articles in the fields of sexual harassment, organizational socialization, tactics, and training issues. His research interests include leadership issues, organizational socialization, and the hidden curriculum of organizations.     

The AFSP Standard - a lesson for law enforcement agencies

Compliance with the AFSP (Association of Forensic Science Providers) Standard [1] which concerns the formulation of an evaluative opinion requires consideration of the defence case. This can be problematic for forensic scientists working with or for law enforcement agencies. Among the aims of law enforcement agencies is to secure a conviction while in many jurisdictions the forensic scientist owes an overriding duty to the Court. This casework report demonstrates that early consideration of the defence case by a forensic scientist complying with the AFSP Standard may help rather than hinder the prosecution. The dichotomy as to a conflict of interest for the scientist between supporting the police/prosecutors and being scientifically objective is shown to be a false dichotomy. Compliance with the Standard ensures that science is a better servant of justice.     

The forensic entomologist in the context of the forensic pathologist's role.

An adequate death investigation requires the combined efforts and cooperation of experts in different disciplines: crime scene technicians, death investigators, forensic pathologists, anthropologists, entomologists, other medical and non-medical professionals. These front-line experts play a crucial role in every death investigation process. The forensic pathologist normally has the legal authority to take charge of the dead body at a death scene and his primary functions are the exterior and interior examination of the cadaver by analyzing the extent of antemortem injuries and the postmortem changes and the recovery of physical evidence. He is responsible for determining how, when and why of any death which is the result of violence, suspicious or unexplained circumstances or a death which is sudden or unattended, defending and explaining the reasons for making these diagnoses in a courtroom. The forensic entomologist can provide invaluable aid in death cases where human remains are colonized by insects and in the overall investigation. His principal role is to identify the arthropods associated with such cases and to analyze entomological data for interpreting insect evidence. He is responsible for determining the period of insect activity according to all the variables affecting insect invasion of remains and their development. The major goal of medico-criminal entomology is to contribute to the determination of the time, cause, manner and place of the investigated death (especially on badly decomposed corpses or skeletonized human remains) with the support of all the elements which can be inferred from the study of insects found on the cadaver or nearby. The application of techniques devised recently in forensic entomology can allow experts in the field to collect strong entomological evidence and provide useful information not only in a death investigation including movement or storage of the remains following death, time of dismemberment, postmortem artifacts on the body but also at the scene, and even more in child neglect, sexual molestation and identification of suspects. As the role of the forensic entomologist at the death scene, at the autopsy and in the laboratory is defined and well known, this paper focuses on the difficulties that could arise if forensic pathologists and entomologists are uncertain about the procedures that they have to follow, do not realize the value of objective findings or fail to evaluate them. Although every forensic case presents a slightly different set of circumstances and has to be tackled individually, the forensic pathologist should work with the forensic entomologist from the visual observations of the cadaver on the scene, through the collection of arthropods and temperature data at the death scene and at the autopsy, up to the final report with the interpretation of entomological and other biological evidence.     

道路交通事故法医检验技术的研究进展

近年来,经济快速发展和机动车数量急剧增多,道路交通事故频发和伤亡人数不断上升已经成为备受关注的全球性问题。法医检验作为交通事故处理中重要的证据,其鉴定意见直接影响着当事方的权益和事故处理。不容置疑,法医检验技术的运用对鉴定意见有十分重要的影响作用。本文对国内外法医检验技术的最新研究进展和应用进行综述,供同行实践工作中参考。     

试论“劝告式”执法与构建城市和谐交通——以湖州市为例

如何构建城市和谐交通，是以罚治路还是依法治路？对交通违法行为是单纯的“严罚”，还是宽严相济？是动不动就“罚款”，还是有所区分，辅之于教育？在交通管理中如何全面落实科学发展观和为构建和谐社会作出努力？湖州交警正是基于这些问题的思考，勇于创新，在交通管理实践中推出了针对轻微交通违法行为的“劝告式”执法．这是湖州交警为构建城市和谐交通的一种创新实践。“劝告式”执法的推出给我们的启示是：要构建和谐交通，必须要解放思想、转变观念；必须实施政务公开制度；必须牢固树立“执法为民”的宗旨。     

法医DNA实践中的伦理问题

法医DNA始终在国际法医物证检验领域中占据核心地位,技术应用早已广泛成熟。近年来,诸多学者开始关注法医DNA伦理学方面的研究,目前该研究还处于初步探索阶段。本文是在伦理学已有学术基础上,从DNA数据库建设和亲子鉴定两个方面对法医DNA伦理学思想应用现状进行了初步探讨,并且参考国内外文献资料对伦理学思想在法医DNA实践中的应用原则进行了阐述,目的在于衡量法医DNA工作是否达到伦理方面的要求,其实践意义将在DNA数据库建设和亲子鉴定中起到重要作用。     

腐败血液中自生醇现象及法医学应用研究

目的 检测分析腐败血液中乙醇、甲醇等物质的生成过程,为正确判断案发时人血液中醇类物质的实际浓度提供实验依据.方法 以正常健康人血液制作腐败样本,分别模拟人死亡后正常人血液和糖尿病人高糖血液的腐败过程,借助顶空气相色谱仪测定两种血液腐败后醇/醛类物质的生成情况并对比含量差异.结果 相同实验条件下,高糖血液较正常健康血液更...     

Detection of deception in law enforcement applicants

Using the MMPI and the IPI, the present study examined the differences in psychometric defensiveness between two groups of law enforcement applicants: applicants identified as being deceptive and a comparison group of candidates for whom no deception was indicated. Significant differences were found on the traditional validity (minimization) scales for both instruments as well as several supplemental scales and indexes from the MMPI. A new index (Es-K) from the MMPI showed a highly significant difference between groups and good classification accuracy. The results suggest that deceptive applicants show more defensiveness on psychometric testing and that test results may assist in raising the index of suspicion for detecting deception in law enforcement applicants.