The current state of the organizational component of the personality identification procedures for the unrecognized casualties of emergency situations

This paper reports the results of analysis of organizational problems related to personality identification of unrecognized casualties in a variety of emergency situations. The necessity of purpose-oriented introduction of high-technology methods into the practical work of forensic medical experts is emphasized. The priority of the organizational component in the interdepartmental interactions during joint expertise actions at the sites of emergency situations is substantiated. The specific features of injuries in unrecognized subjects who died or suffered in emergency situations are considered with reference to the latter's peculiar conditions. The authors discuss prospects for the further development of organizational and legal basis of research for the purpose of personality identification with the use of the database of human medico-biological characteristics as envisaged by the current legislation.     

Problem solving and youth violence: an evaluation of the Boston Gun Project

The Boston Gun Project is a problem-solving policing initiativeaimed at reducing homicide victimization among young peoplein the city of Boston. It represented an innovative partnershipbetween researchers and practitioners to assess the city's youthhomicide problem and implement an intervention intended to havepowerful impacts in the near term. In early 1996, a workinggroup representing a variety of law enforcement and social serviceagencies implemented an intervention that strategically respondedto gang violence, focused enforcement efforts on gun trafficking,and emphasized communication of the strategy to generate deterrence.The intervention is associated with a 60% decline in youth homicidevictimization (i.e., two fewer victims per month). There aresmaller declines in other measures of violence. The declinein youth homicide is sharp and occurs coincident with the introductionof the intervention. Competing hypotheses appear unable to accountfor the decline.