Daryl W. Clemens, Editor

From the Editor

Welcome to the July issue of The Examiner. Our focus this issue is footwear, with a couple of good articles and a neat trick from yours truly. (I actually got this trick from photographer David Hobby, although he uses it for different purposes altogether. If you are into photography run, don't walk, and check out his site.)

 Daryl

Got comments/questions or want to submit an article for The Examiner?  e-mail me: Daryl W. Clemens

President's Message
Greetings!
 
It has been an active 6 weeks for us since our last Newsletter. I am happy to inform you that we have added 44 new members from Jamaica and our Caribbean Director Christopher Anderson is in the process of delivering their certificates and lapel pins.  We would like to say, “Welcome to ICSIA!”.  As membership increases the more we will be able to get accomplished. Please pass the word to other CSI’s about ICSIA! We are still in the planning stages for the 2014 CSI Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas but things are going well. To keep updated please visit the Conference web site often, http://www.icsia.org/conference     If you would like to make a presentation or know someone that should make a presentation please let us know. A tentative agenda of the topics for the conference are posted on the web site and will be updated as new information becomes available. I hope to see you there!
 
ICSIA will be at the IAI Conference in Providence, Rhode Island in August 2013. We have purchased a booth to let others know about us, hopefully to gain additional members. If you are going to the IAI Conference we will be in booth 539 please stop and visit with us!
 
ICSIA has a merchandise section available through the member’s area at  http://www.icsia.org/members/merchandise/    We have two “stores” for our members to make purchases with the ICSIA Logo.  Café Press and Queensboro, both links are identified on the merchandise web page.  The apparel from Queensboro is quality clothing and is available with the embroidered ICSIA Logo. When you access the ICSIA Store on the Queensboro site through our link you will need to use the password “icsiaorg” to enter that store. We did this to reduce the public from having direct access. 
 
Currently there are three CSI’s completing the Certification process, one is from the Bermuda Police and the other two are from the British Virgin Islands. If interested in applying for certification please review the information at http://www.icsia.org/FCSI/Certification/
 
We are working in partnership with the Criminal Justice Institute in Little Rock, Arkansas to create an online FREE course for 1^st Responding Officers to Crime Scenes. We hope to have it completed and available late September or early October. The online course will be available through CJI’s web site.
 
It promises to be a busy year, your support is always appreciated.
 
Stay safe and stay focused!

Hayden B. Baldwin, Executive Director
International Crime Scene Investigators Association (ICSIA)
http://www.icsia.org
hbb@icsia.org

Footwear- The Missed Evidence

by Dwane Hilderbrand
http://www.forensicitc.com/

Since criminals must enter and exit crime scene areas, it should therefor, be reasonably assumed that they may leave traces of their footwear. Criminals have become smarter and wiser by beginning to frequently wear protection over their hands to avoid leaving their fingerprints, and masks over their faces to avoid eyewitness identification. However, they are rarely aware of, or make little attempt to conceal footwear. During an everyday routine it is normal to see an individual wearing gloves, but it's abnormal to see an individual wearing protection over their shoes. 

Read More (.pdf format)

Footwear Photos

by Hayden Baldwin


Want to see a better version of this? Hayden has this on the website showing the difference between side and direct lighting for this type of imprint. Click Here to see the photos side-by-side.

ICSIA’s CSI Conference 2014

Education, Training and Technology, 
May 13-15, 2014, Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, North Little Rock, Arkansas

More details coming soon- Keep checking our Conference Page for the latest information.

On the Web- 
By Daryl Clemens

We recently lost a fellow CSI in a tragic accident, he was just leaving work at the end of his shift. Stay safe out there folks. Full story at the link below.

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/07/06/4332299/one-man-killed-in-troost-avenue.html

A couple of on links on footwear related evidence:
Analysis of Footwear Impression Evidence (NIJ) Warning- this is a very large .pdf file.
SWGTREAD- The Scientific Working Group for Shoeprint and Tire tread evidence

Courses Available through the Criminal Justice Institute, Arkansas, USA

RECOVERY OF HUMAN REMAINS (40 Hours)

This five-day (40 hour) course will emphasize the procedures used in recovering badly decomposed or skeletonized human remains and all associated physical evidence from outdoor crime scenes (both exposed and buried). Procedures used in finding buried bodies will also be presented. This will be an intensive, hands-on course in which the student will learn proper processing skills for these “unique” crime scenes through realistic mock scene exercises. New crime scene specialists and investigators will benefit from this program. A list of equipment needed will be provided at time of enrollment.

 DATES: October 28–November 1, 2013 

CRIME SCENE TECHNIQUES AND INVESTIGATION (50 Hours)

Participants will learn techniques of crime scene investigation as applied to crimes against property and persons. This course requires the participant to study and review course work prior to attending the course at CJI. The 50 hour course will emphasize the use of digital photography and the processing of the scene for physical and testimonial evidence. To adequately cover the topic of night photography, there will be a night session on Wednesday, September 25, 2013. Hands-on exercises will focus on the recognition, documentation, processing, recovery, and preservation of physical evidence. Participants will apply learned techniques through a mock crime scene exercise conducted on the last day of the program. Students will be required to pass a written and practical exam to pass the course. Students are required to bring a digital camera (digital DSLR preferred) with instruction manual, approximately 18-70mm zoom lens or similar range of zoom, Macro lens (or close-up filters), batteries for camera and flash, digital media (2),off camera flash with instruction manual, remote flash cord to connect flash to camera, and tripod. Camera must be capable of photographing a Quarter to size and taking timed exposures. Students should wear appropriate casual clothing that may become soiled by chemicals during practical exercises conducted both indoors and outdoors. 

DATES:  September 23–27, 2013

 More Information:
   http://www.cji.edu/Files/ScheduleFY2014Sum-Fall.pdf

Note: If you would like your crime scene related training to appear here, e-mail the editor with course description and dates. (All training notices are subject to approval).

Product Spotlight- un-du® Adhesive Label Remover 

Description: un-du® is back and taking the forensic market by storm. This ”all in one” award winning remover utilizes a patented formula and attached scraper tool system that safely and quickly removes all self sticking and pressure sensitive stickers, tapes, labels and adhesives on contact. un-du® will not leave behind any oily or greasy mess that can possibly harm ridge detail. un-du® simply evaporates leaving behind a clean sample to process. Evidence bound with adhesives or any crime commissioned with the use of tape can easily be removed with un-du® and processed for fingerprints using LCV or Tieg’s Liquid Powder. un-du® is acid free and photo safe. MSDS Sheets available. New VOC formula can now be purchased for departments in California.

Product Link: Click Here to Learn More

Above photo by Jeremy van Bedijk

Impression Evidence

By Dick Warrington

This article originally appeared in Forensic Magazine®  April/May 2007, Reprinted with Permission.

Suspects often leave important evidence throughout crime scenes: tire tracks, footprints, tool marks, extruder marks on different casings, etc. Casting can preserve this impression evidence for comparison work and analysis at the lab. Since this evidence can be crucial for your court case, you need to know the proper way to handle it. While a thorough discussion would require a separate article for each type of evidence and product, I can help get you started with an overview of the products available to you.

Read More

Product Spotlight- 

CA-3000 Fuming Chamber 

 Develop latent prints by positioning your evidence inside the CA Chamber, adding cyanoacrylate to the heating element and pushing the start button. Within minutes, high-quality latent fingerprints are developed. Our exclusive, patented design ensures potentially hazardous cyanoacrylate fumes generated during the development process never escape the chamber and must pass through the filtration system a minimum of twenty times before the purge process is complete.

For more information call 1-877-328-3912 or Click Here

Trick of the Trade

Tired of bending over while you try to get your flash in the correct position for photos of footwear impressions? Take a look at the above. Most flash adapter cords are threaded on the bottom to accept a standard (1/4,20) tripod bolt. You can use a light stand or cheap monopod to hold the flash in the correct position while you remain behind the camera. If you're handy you could easily make a stick with some cheap PVC and a bolt from the hardware store to do the same thing.

Cell Phones

So in keeping with our footwear theme this month. I have a simple app for you. Zappos. Zappos in an online retailer, much like Amazon. They got their start selling shoes, and while they've since branched out, shoes are still a main part of their inventory. What you wonder do you need a shoe store app for? Well, you can of course buy shoes from them, or compare prices. More importantly for our use: they have pictures of all of the shoes they sell- including the soles. So if you a looking to see what type of shoe you may have, or if your footwear examiner has told you it's a Whatever Brand/Model you can look it up so you know what you are looking for. Now Amazon also sells shoes, so you can try their app too. You can also get both of them on your computer as well as your phone of course.