Category: Articles, Crime Investigation, Law Enforcement & Corrections, Safety, Security Displacement of Crime or Diffusion of Crime TASA ID: 10544 In the concept of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, also known as CPTED (pronounced SEP-Ted), created more than 60 years ago by Tim Crowe, I believe the purpose is to be proactive regarding crime issues. I was in a training program five years ago when someone in the audience asked, “On a street close to my campus, we have drug dealers and hookers. How do I get rid of them?” The lecturer couldn't answer the question, but I knew the answer. Read more
Category: Articles, Computer/Internet, Crime Investigation, Handwriting Examination, Medical & Healthcare, Resources for Attorneys, Resources for Experts, Security, Toxicology “Who Wrote That Email?” Forensic Authorship Attribution and Stylometry TASA ID: 3949 Some cases hinge on the authorship of a document. Whether we want to know about the author of a defamatory email, the source of a ransom note, or the authenticity of a will, one of the most important pieces of evidence is the one that establishes who wrote it. Historically, most documents were handwritten and handwriting experts (today they go by the title “forensic document examiners”) could determine who wrote something from the slant of an f or the height of a t. Even with typewritten documents, they could notice a chipped p or an out-of-line c and identify the specific typewriter that created the document. Physical creation also produces physical variance. Read more
Category: Crime Investigation, Fire Investigations Fire and Explosion: When Expertise Matters TASA ID: 4701 A 14-year old was accused of endangerment by exploding an incendiary device. An incendiary device is a bomb that is designed to start fires. The teenager learned how to create this device while surfing the internet - the instructions told how to build THE WORKS BOMB by using aluminum foil, a commercial toilet cleaner, and an emptied soda bottle.The teenager’s behavior was immature and potentially dangerous, but fortunately, it took place in a large open space with no one else in attendance; therefore, no one was injured. However, the police were alerted and arrested the young perpetrator on the spot. Read more
Category: Crime Investigation, DNA Detecting the Presence of Male DNA in Cases of Sexual Assault without Ejaculation TASA ID: 3158 If a sexual assault occurs and there is no ejaculation, is it still possible to detect and identify a male assailant? Traditional forensic DNA analysis of sexual assault-type samples focuses on the identification and typing of sperm cells collected from the victim's body, clothing, or bedding. Read more
Category: Crime Investigation, Employment Interrogation Safeguards TASA ID: 2483 An article entitled, “WHEN EMPLOYEES CONFESS, SOMETIMES FALSELY” appeared in the business section of the March 9, 2014, edition of The New York Times. It discussed the interrogation of employees suspected of misconduct, mainly theft, by private persons acting in an employer's behalf, pointing out that confessions, when obtained, are not always true or necessarily accurate. Rather, they result from what might best be described as questionable interrogation techniques. The article did not discuss legal action that might be taken by an employee subjected to an interrogation, whose reputation is sullied thereby, against his or her employer. Read more
