NFSTC is proud to have worked with the BJA to deliver useful and expansive programs to enhance forensic knowledge in the criminal justice community. 

2009 Homicide Investigation Symposium

More than 300 homicide investigators from Federal, State, local and tribal law enforcement attended this symposium in July, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Florida.  The meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP); the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA); and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the National Forensic Science and Technology Center (NFSTC).

The symposium encompassed a variety of topics related to homicide investigations including:

• Latest breakthroughs in crime scene technology
• Best practices for handling case management challenges
• Methods for addressing legal and prosecutorial issues
• Proven interviewing and interrogations techniques
• Tools for search and canvass management
• New findings in forensics research

The goal in hosting this symposium was to impart the knowledge, skills and resources to enable the criminal justice community to more effectively investigate homicide cases.  The agenda and presentation materials can be viewed here: http://projects.nfstc.org/homicide2009/overview.htm

IAFS Attendance Scholarships and Review

NFSTC provided 70 scholarships to attend the 2008 International Association of Forensic Sciences (IAFS) triennial meeting with funding provided by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), (2007-DD-BX-K072).

Selected attendees were  to explore new technologies presented at oral presentations, poster presentations or technology demonstrations at the IAFS meeting. The attendees were required to share new technology information with the broader community by submitting a Technology Synopsis report of their observations. These reports were written in their own words based on a template developed by NFSTC in conjunction with the BJA. The synopses were compiled along with the presenters’ abstracts and can be viewed here: http://projects.nfstc.org/iafs2008/.

Medical Examiner Forensic Training

NFSTC created and delivered a five-day workshop for Forensic Pathology Fellows to increase their knowledge of  the scope and application of the forensic sciences within the Criminal Justice System.  Topics included crime scene processing, toxicology, serology/DNA, firearm and toolmark identification, trace evidence analysis, fire debris analysis, controlled substances analysis, latent fingerprints processing, forensic odontology, forensic entomology, forensic anthropology, explosives and explosive device identification, and courtroom testimony.

The workshop includes lecture, demonstrations, laboratory activities and instructor-led discussions to illustrate the general principles presented.

The workshop addressed theoretical aspects of each of the forensic sciences as well as opportunities to evaluate the application of these sciences to forensic pathology casework. Workshop presentations can be viewed here: http://projects.nfstc.org/medical_examiners/