USE OF SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGY IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

Use of Specific Technology in Criminal Investigation

Use of Specific Technology in Criminal Investigation

The most positive aspect of increased public awareness in forensics is that the laypeople that sit on juries during criminal trials no longer feel like they need to have a criminal justice degree to comprehend the implications and significance of expert testimony and evidence.

The technology used to test blood samples found at the murder scene in the Simpson case, and to identify the DNA of Amanda Knox on the knife used to kill Meredith Kercher have been standard practice in criminal investigation since 1985. However, in the early 1990s, the naissance of bullet cytology introduced advances in the ability to decipher ballistics evidence. By testing tissue cells found on bullets that pass through a body examiners can identify which organs were struck and determine whether a shooting victim's injury was survivable or fatal, even without the presence of a body.

Firearm crime and the resulting issues related to those crimes, such as the loss of life and injuries they inevitably spawn are among the challenges facing police administrators in this country. Firearms-related violence is often cyclical and repetitive. Harvard Professor Anthony Braga, who has conducted a great deal of research in this area, said recently, “Street gangs tend to get caught up in cycles of retribution. One shooting or one homicide tends to beget a series of homicides…”

This type of repetitive violence has severe social consequences in terms of human suffering and the fear that it generates among those who live within its reach. It also has drastic economic impact in terms of the cost of crime to society in general and, more specifically, on the socioeconomic structure of the affected neighborhood. The fact is that people avoid doing business and socializing in areas where firearms violence is reported to be prevalent.

From practical experience one thing is clear: unless we are able to collect and analyze accurate information about the criminal misuse of firearms across a city, state, or the country, we cannot begin to apply effective enforcement tactics and design new strategies to address the problem. Without such critical information developed in a timely manner, we are destined to have inefficient work processes and waste scarce resources.

As the saying goes every crime gun has a story to tell. The “story” comes from the inside and the outside the gun itself. From the inside comes “ballistics data” in the form of unique markings left on fired ammunition components by the internal working parts of a gun. From the outside comes identifying data in the form of make, model, and serial number that can be used to track the transaction history of the gun. Crime-solving success is dependant upon the efficient and effective management of both sources of information from crime guns.

Through its National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Program, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) deploys Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS) equipment into Federal, State, and local law enforcement ...