Welcome to Unit One!By

Professor David E. Bridges

Class Expectations and the International Association for Identification

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Class Expectations

• Welcome to class, my name is David Bridges and I will be your instructor for the course. Please call me David.

• Let’s go over some of the housekeeping issues about class just to be sure everyone knows what is expected….

• Rules for Audio Seminar

• Discussion Board

• Grading Criteria for Written Assignments

• Turn It In, Late Policy, Computer Problems

Finally, we will discuss the International Association for Identification as well as the difference between a latent print examiner and CSI.

Rules for Audio Seminar

• 1. If you cannot hear the seminar, there is nothing the instructor can do from their end. Unfortunately you will have to log-off, read the archive at a later date, and complete the Seminar make-up assignment.

 

• 2. The instructor is the only one capable of speaking. Students must communicate through the text box at the bottom of the page.

 

• 3. There is a 30 second delay between when the instructor speaks and when you hear the audio. This gets some taking used to both for the students and the instructor so be patient for the first couple of seminars until we get a rhythm going!

Rules for Audio Seminar

• 4. If you have a question, just type in the question

 

• 5. No conversations between yourselves or on the side during the seminars. You are welcome to communicate with each other outside of class through email or live chat.

 

• 6. If you are late, please do not jump in and say, "Hi, I apologize for being late," as this disrupts the flow of the discussion. It is apparent when individuals join or leave the seminars.

Rules for Audio Seminar

7. To receive full credit for participating, you must participate with relevant comments. Typing “Uh huh”, “Wow”, “Yes”, “Great information”, “hello” and “goodbye” only will result in no credit for the seminar. Come to class prepared to discuss the topic. Have all reading completed before the seminar.

  If you are unable to attend seminar then you must complete the alternative

assignment, I will email to you.

Also you are not required to Respond to any of you classmates postings

Discussion Board:

• You are expected to post your Main posting early in the week. Main postings should be free of spelling/grammar errors and referenced at the end of the post.

 

• During the unit, you will also respond to at least 1 of your fellow classmates. It is a REQUIRED part of your grade that you interact on the Discussion board.  Logging on and simply reading discussions is not considered enough.  You and others gain as a result of active participation.

 

Discussion Board

Comments such as, “Good job!” or “I agree” do not get you any participation points.  To meet the participation requirement, your comments should add significantly to the discussion.  This is done by reading, analyzing, and responding to questions and relating life experiences as much as possible to our activities and discussions. 

The book is tough to read and contains lots of material that you can just “skim over”. You will not be expected to memorize studies, chemical formulas, etc. Just the basics of fingerprint growth, identification and processing.

  DO NOT forget or disregard your web trips each week. MANY of your test

questions will come from this material.

Writing Assignment Grading Criteria

• The following criteria are used to evaluate your assignments:

• Follows description as provided in the course,

• Provides factually accurate information based on the textbook as well as reliable outside sources,

• Meets length requirements as described within the project description,

Writing Assignment Grading Criteria

• Properly credits sources used

• Follows basic standards for college-level writing—that is, proper grammar, spelling, and organization

• Submitted by the deadline.

 

• There are several writing assignments in this course. It is expected that your academic papers will conform to the standards for college-level writing and that you will properly cite your work (i.e., give credit to your sources).

Writing Assignment Grading Criteria

• There are several writing assignments in this course. It is expected that your academic papers will conform to the standards for college-level writing and that you will properly cite your work (i.e., give credit to your sources).

 

• If you need assistance, visit the KU Writing Center or review Rules for Writers (or the Rules for Writers website).

 

Essays and Projects

Unit 2 Learning Activity- you will create your own fingerprints. You will share

your experiences and you will discuss the history of fingerprints as a science with your classmates on the discussion board.

Unit 3 Project- you will examine a fingerprint and identify the pattern as well as the individual characteristics of the fingerprint. There are a minimum of 12 characteristics that can be identified.

Unit 4 Learning Activity- you will search the University of Alabama-Huntsville (UAH) Library for a court case the involved the use of AFIS- Automated Fingerprint Identification system and write a 100 word summary.

Essays and Projects

Mid Term Essay Exam- there are four points that you have to address completely

in this essay.

Unit 6 Fingerprint Project- you will process 5-10 types of surfaces in your home. You will write a 300-500 word essay addressing five questions. You will find black powder instructions in Doc Sharing. Crushed charcoal or unsweetened cocoa may be used for this project. You may purchase fingerprint powder if you wish but are not required to do so. Another option is to contact your local police or sheriff’s department and they may give you the materials you need.

Essays and Projects

Unit 7 Learning Activity- you will conduct an experiment to determine the effects of water on fingerprints. You need to start on this early as you will need several hours to complete this.

Unit 9 Learning Activity- you will discuss the qualifications of an expert witness and compose a code of ethics that a forensic scientist should adhere to.

Final Essay Exam- this will be a scenario based essay that is 3-5 pages in length.

Unacceptable Practices

• Copying and pasting material directly from web sites with or without reference citations

• Copying the answers directly from the textbook with or without reference citations

You should read and analyze the material- I am interested in what you have to say and think about the topic- not that the author of your references have to say.

Grade Comments

• The grade comments are important. Please be sure to read them and adjust your work accordingly. The grade comments tell you what you need to correct. I have provided a link to the OWL at Purdue (Online Writing Lab) which is a great resource for APA formatting and other writing issues.

• Again, don’t forget that Kaplan has an online writing center that can assist you.

• I place a great deal of emphasis on quality writing because it is such an essential part of the criminal justice profession- police officers, detectives, crime scene personnel, probation/parole personnel to name a few all have to be able to write clear and detailed reports. Judges, lawyers, and other professionals read these reports.

Grade Comments

• If you are a Criminal Justice Administrator you must be able to conduct thorough research if you are making a presentation for a new program to the Chief or the Sheriff. Your ability to research and make a strong argument is critical.

• You need to know more than the answer- you need to be able to articulate why your answer is the right one or why you think an answer is wrong. Especially if you are trying to convince someone to spend more money on equipment or training for your Forensic Unit

Some of you will decide to pursue your Master’s Degree or Law

School- writing is a huge part of these programs!

Grade Comments

• Your coursework will involve a great deal of writing. At the end of a Masters degree you will either have a thesis or capstone project.

• This means you will have a topic that you have to thoroughly research and write about.

• The more you sharpen your writing skills in your undergraduate program with proper referencing in APA format the easier your educational path will become.

Late Policy

• Late assignments are marked down 5%. You have a full seven days to complete each unit and those turned in on the 8th day or later are considered late.

• Unit assignments are due on Tuesday at Midnight ET. If you have extenuating circumstances and would like to turn work in late without penalty, you must contact me in writing prior to the due date.

 

Missing Texbooks

• In the event that you are missing your textbook when the course begins you should take the following steps:

• Contact your academic advisor and advise him/her regarding the missing textbooks

• Advise me that you are missing your textbooks and keep me apprised of the status of your textbook

• Begin working on your assignments using the Internet and the Kaplan Online library for your research. Use journals, magazines, and books-please refer to the Announcement titled “Acceptable References”

Missing Textbooks

• Please do not wait for the arrival of your textbook to begin working on your assignments-the course will move very quickly and I would hate to see you fall behind. There is a wealth of information that can be found on the Internet and the Kaplan Online Library regarding the topics we will be covering. If you encounter difficulties with a particular topic please don’t hesitate to contact me for assistance.

• Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or need assistance.

Computer Problems

• You are required to have a backup system with which to access class. Computer crashes and lack of access while traveling will not be accepted as an excuse for not participating in class discussions or submitting your assignments on time. These classrooms are web-based and can be accessed from any Internet-enabled computer in the world. Some suggested backup systems are:

• Local library

• Community colleges or local Universities

• Cyber Cafes

• Kinko’s

• Friends, neighbors, family

• Work

Computer Problems

• I do realize there may be extenuating circumstances such as a bad storm with power outage and I will consider these on a case by case basis. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask me.

Now, let’s move on to the International Association for Identification!

What is the IAI?

• The International Association of Identification (IAI) is the oldest forensic organization and was founded in 1915, There are 42 divisions worldwide to include Argentina, Brazil and even Switzerland.

• Members range from beginner forensic examiners or law enforcement officers to experienced forensic experts and law enforcement officers.

• To qualify for "Active Membership" status, an individual must be employed by a local, county, state or federal unit of government subdivision thereof and actively involved in forensic science.

The IAI

• Examples that involvement might include law enforcement officers who conduct crime scene investigations, laboratory analysts technicians, medical examiners their staff others whose job involves the sciences.

• Individuals not qualified for "Active Membership" may qualify for "Associate Membership.“

• That category includes those employed in some aspect of forensic science outside of government, vendors to the forensic sciences and students, to name a few.

The IAI

• "Associate Members" have all the rights and privileges of an "Active Member" but can not hold presidential or vice-presidential offices.

• Student Membership" is a available to full-time college students at an accredited college with a major in a law enforcement and/or a forensic science related field.

• To be considered as an applicant for Student Membership a person must be a full-time student defined as taking 12 or more semester credits or the equivalent in quarter credits.

• You can fill out an application for student membership by going to the website and downloading the form.

The IAI

• The Journal of Forensic Identification (JFI), is a bimonthly scientific journal provided to all IAI members. It provides articles on the latest cutting age research and studies and is free with membership.

 

• The IAI also provides many training opportunities and conferences for its memberships to attend at great locations such as Vegas and Miami.

The IAI

• Certification tests are also provided in many forensic disciplines.

• Currently, there are seven certification programs which include Latent Print, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Crime Scene Investigation, Footwear Examination, Forensic Art, Forensic Photography/Electronic Imaging, and Ten print.

• The IAI website has job listings that contain postings of some of the most current positions available in various forensic fields.

• Check out the web site for the IAI in our class webliography! Now, let’s move on the latent print examiner’s and CSI’S

Latent Print Examiner/CSI

So, what do you think the difference between a latent print examiner and crime scene investigator/technician is?

Crime scene investigator is a forensic examiner. This job mainly deals with processing of a crime scene. Extensive study, training, and experience in crime scene investigations is needed for the investigator to be proficient in the field.

Scene Recognition, Scene Documentation and Evidence Collection are the main responsibilities of a CSI but may not be the only responsibilities.

Processing the scene for latent prints is a huge part of being a CSI and one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Nothing is better than lifting a print off of knife that has just been used to stab the victim!

Latent Print Examiner/CSI

You may also be completing preliminary chemical tests of evidence, attending autopsies, and packaging and transporting evidence to be examined at a state crime lab.

You can expect a salary range of between $38,733 and $42,720 a year. You will not be hired if you have had any felony convictions and usually are asked to have a physical examination and take a polygraph test as well.

In some states CSI’s are sworn officers who also patrol the streets. In other states, the CSI is a non-sworn civilian worker. Don’t let it worry you that this means you would be at a crime scene without a gun…..we are always protected by one or two police officers while we are working.

I encourage to visit agency web sites as you can learn a lot from them.

Latent Print Examiner/CSI

• A latent print examiner is someone trained in the examination and comparison of friction ridge skin on the hands, palms, and feet.

• Training usually consists of a mentorship type training one on one with an experience examiner. You will be in training 2-3 years before being allowed to work cases alone and testify in court to these conclusions.

• The latent print examiner not only completes examination/comparisons, but also processes evidence sent to the lab for fingerprints.

Latent Print Examiner/CSI

• Knowledge of the various processing techniques is a must. Sometimes you will receive hands from the morgue to work with to obtain known prints. You will also fingerprint the deceased in some instances.

• You may be a latent print examiner for a local police department, state crime lab, or federal agency such as the post office. There are lots of different opportunities!

• The salary range is generally higher than a CSI, approximately $50,000 to $80,000.

• Questions? Comments? Thank you for your attention and contributions! Have a great night- see you next week!