Forensic Crow Consulting, LLC

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Proud to announce we are now offering notarial services in the state of Florida.

IAI Latent Print Certification

Welcome back, team!

The team that helped clean up and restore areas after Hurricane Ian made it home safely over the weekend. We want to thank each and every one of them for responding in our neighbors’ time of need:

Colonel Jeremy Small (ECSO), Lt. Mike Hoyland (ECSO), Lt. Patrick Crossley (ECSO), Lt. Phillip Folmar (ECSO), Lt. Kevin Biggs (ECSO), Sgt. Vince Odenbrett (ECSO), Sgt. David Brown (ECSO), Sgt. Jacob Holloway (ECSO), Deputy Ken Holyfield (ECSO), Deputy Justin Fountain (ECSO), Deputy Jorge Haitt (ECSO), Deputy Larry Richardson (ECSO), K-9 Eso (ECSO), Deputy Eric Alvarez (ECSO), Deputy Anthony Silva (ECSO), Deputy Bert Powell (ECSO), Deputy Thomas Hyler (ECSO), Deputy Mickey Swaboda (ECSO), Deputy Jalen Atkins (ECSO), Deputy Jason Donnelly (ECSO), Jack Reid (ECSO), Jake Lucas (ECSO), John Dosh (ECSO), Chad Mauldin (ECSO), Officer Blaine Welers (GPD), Officer Ben Cunningham (GPD), Lt. Chad Willhite (PPD), Sgt. Danny Harnett (PPD), Det. Kyle Skipper (PPD), Det. Charles Restifo (PPD), Det. John Cramer (PPD), Officer Drew Glass (PPD), Officer Kenneth McMahon (PPD), and Officer Kesley Isenberg (PPD).

Pensacola Police Department Gulf Breeze Police Dept

ECSO Unit Citation Award

https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2020/04/06/Virtual%20Sub%203%20ACE-V%20Process%20Map_CDi_JAN2020.pdf

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James Price on LinkedIn: “During a recent Vacuum Metal… During a recent Vacuum Metal Deposition (VMD) demo, we were asked to process a thermal receipt someone had brought along. They informed us that this …

http://scienceillustrated.com.au/blog/science/fingerprints-can-now-be-taken-from-fabric/

Fingerprints can now be taken from fabric | Science Illustrated Researchers from the University of Abertay, Scotland, and the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) are seeking to recover fingerprint details and ridge impressions using a technique known as vacuum metal deposition (VMD. The technique uses gold and zinc to recover the fingerprint mark and is al...

How to convert to on screen Fingerprint Comparisons

There is no doubt that using a magnifying glass for fingerprint comparison is doing you harm. How can it not when you need to lean over a desk for extended periods in a way that will horrify any OH&S specialists. Even raised platforms on which you can rest your magnifying glass will cause neck and back injury over a life time of use, although they are certainly better than nothing. The only sure way to avoid this kind of injury is to convert to a fully digital environment and conduct fingerprint comparisons on a monitor correctly configured for the most ergonomic posture.

Converting to a fully digital comparison environment requires planning and some expense. The payoff is worth it in reduced absenteeism, greater case file throughput, and happier and more productive employees. The following is some advice on how to go about the conversion.

The first step is to capture your crime scene/lab photographs digitally. Fortunately, this is now almost universal. Some agencies still use lifters or a combination of digital and lifters. Lifters can now be easily captured on a scanner or on desk mounted cameras. The price of these devices has declined remarkably in past years just as digital cameras have.

The second step is to create a common repository of digital images that can easily be accessed by your Fingerprint Operators. The price of storage has declined to a point where the cost is well within the range of most budgets. A separate central server or one created within existing PC infrastructure can now be set up with little or no additional cost. Many people have heard of Moore’s law which shows the huge increases of processing speeds, however the story of the declining cost of digital storage is also remarkable. In 1981 the cost of storing 1 Gigabyte of data was $300,000, today it is 10 cents. PC’s with a Terabyte of data storage capacity are becoming standard.

The third step is to design a workflow that actually makes the process of comparing two digital fingerprints on a monitor easier than working with paper photographs and physical fingerprint forms. This is probably the most difficult as it requires a complete rethink on how to do business. Again, most agencies already have some form of on-line case management system. So, the task here in many cases is to make use of what you already have in place. The other piece to this work flow puzzle is a tool to view the two images side by side on a monitor. These tools are quite inexpensive and are available from vendors on line. Photoshop can also be used for this purpose however, they have recently changed their business model so that ongoing costs have made an impact on the cost benefits of going down this path.

The fourth step is just plain old change management 101. Managers should bring your staff with you. Prepare the ground before hand and emphasis the benefits and provide a clear pathway to a better way of doing things. There are obvious efficiency gains but the very real OH&S benefits should be the number one stated benefit and it should be repeated at every opportunity. It’s hard to argue with a manager who obviously has your best interests at heart. Managing up requires an emphasis on the benefits of reduced costs over the long term. Staff retention due to fewer health issues leads to the reduction in costs of training replacement staff. Fewer sick days leads to greater throughput per operator and higher clear up rates leading to higher apprehension rates and reduced crime, etc. Who can argue against that?

The move to a fully digital environment is inevitable and I think most people who work in the Fingerprint comparison field know this. The question for many agencies is when not if to adopt this digital environment. I hope this article has provided some food for thought for those who are looking at making the move. Contact me if you need more detail on how to make the move to digital [email protected]

Which Standards Are Standard? Differences between ISO/IEC 17025 and 17020 for forensic agencies Becoming an accredited agency assures customers that the forensic agency complies with international standards and internationally recognized good practices, and that its staff is technically competent to perform specific types of testing and inspections.

Determining the Age of Fingerprints Watch the imprint of a tire track in soft mud, and it will slowly blur, the ridges of the pattern gradually flowing into the valleys. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have tested the theory that a similar effect could be used to give forensic scientists someth...

This is what happens when latent print examiners are poorly trained and/or conduct sloppy casework. This is the kind of thing that makes the entire discipline look bad. Every latent print unit should have protocols in place to ensure that all conclusions are verified by another qualified examiner and that all casework is technically and administratively reviewed before the analysis report is issued.

More than 2,600 Orlando-area lawyers get letters warning about fingerprint expert The Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office has sent more than 2,600 letters to Orlando-area defense attorneys, warning them that their clients may have been