Tues 9/24/13Bellringer:

◦ Take out your notes and respond to the following:

Would sap taken from a tree be class evidence or individual evidence? Why?If a suspect had sap on his clothes, would it lead to a specific tree?

Agenda for today:◦ Short lecture on

databases◦ Discuss Case Study (keep

out on your desk)

Forensic DatabasesEnable criminalists to conduct

comparative analysis on evidence found at a crime scene without as much of a need for a suspect◦Instead of trying to collect fingerprints,

DNA, etc. from all possible suspects, databases can be used to begin to eliminate or identify suspects

◦While there is not information for every person in these databases – there is for those with a criminal history and/or certain jobs

IAFISIntegrated Automated Fingerprint

Identification System (IAFIS)◦Fingerprint and criminal history system

for 50 million subjects◦Operational since 1999. Maintained by

the FBI◦An examiner makes a digital image of the

print with a camera or scanner, marks points on the print to guide the computerized search. Search is completed within minutes against all images in IAFIS

CODISCombined DNA Index SystemBecame fully operational in 1998;

maintained by the FBIAll 50 states have legislated that

DNA profiles of those convicted of felony sexual offenses be stored in database.

CODISForensic Index contains 110,000

DNA profiles from unsolved crimesOffender Index contains profiles of

nearly 3 million convicted offendersHundreds of thousands are

backloggedSuccess in identifying perpetrators

is due to the fact that most crimes involving biological evidence are committed by repeat offenders

NIBINNational Integrated Ballistics

Information networkMaintained by the Bureau of

Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Images of bullets and cartridge casings

Helps produce a short list of candidates for a firearms examiner to manually compare

More that 10,000 “hits” have been recorded

PDQInternational Forensic Automotive

Paint Data QueryMaintained by Royal Canadian

Mounted PoliceContains chemical and color

information pertaining to original automotive paints

Glass Evidence DatabaseContains more than 700 glass

samples◦From manufacturers, distributors, and

vehicle junkyards

Cannot determine the source of an unknown piece of glass◦Can assess the relative frequency that

two glass samples from different sources would have the same elemental profile

Uses plasma mass specs

TreadMark and SoleMate – Commercial shoe databasesTreadMark

◦Commercial product that uses 4 parameters: pattern size damage Wear

◦Compared to suspects in custody and crime scenes

SoleMate◦Contains manufacturer, date of market

release, an image or offset print of the sole, and pictorial images of the uppers

SICARShoeprint Image Capture and

RetrievalCommercially available – not

controlled by a government agency.

Helps match crime-scene foot ware impression with a particular shoe manufacturer.

TreadMateContains more than 5,000 vehicle

tires and tread patterns◦manufacturer, date of release,

pictorial image, pattern features◦code for patterns:

waves, lines, diamonds, zigzags, curves, and blocks

FISHForensic Information System for

HandwritingMaintained by the U.S. Secret

ServiceEnables document examiners to

scan and digitize text writings◦Plotted as arithmetic and geometric

values

International Ink LibraryMaintained by the U.S. Secret

Service and the IRSIncludes more than 9,500 inks

dating back from the 1920’sPen and ink manufacturers are

asked to submit their new ink formulations◦Chemically tested and added to the

reference collection

Drug DatabasesIndent-A-Drug

◦private company◦publishes a book and computer program to

help identify drugs in tablet or capsule formPharmInfoNet

◦contains information on prescription druges, included uses, marketing and availability, and common side effects

RxList◦database of prescription drugs like

PharmInfoNet

Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection (ILRC)Allows a laboratory to isolate an

ignitable liquid of interestDesigned for screening purposes

onlyDoes not replace American

Standard Testing MaterialsEnter name of the liquid and can

search the database

ChemFinderContains information from

manufacturers on chemicals◦Chemical structures◦Physical properties◦Hyperlinks for more information