Stress, Vicarious Trauma, and Resiliency for Forensic Science Professionals

Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)

This webinar presented the findings of the ASCLD/NIJ collaborative Gap Assessment of Stress, Vicarious Trauma and Resiliency for Forensic Science Professionals. The assessment gathered survey responses from forensic and medical examiner laboratories to evaluate vicarious trauma, burnout, job satisfaction, and participants perceptions of their organization’s resiliency efforts. Our findings inform future directions in research, policy, and practice to better manage stress and increase resiliency among forensic professionals.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on June 11, 2020.

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPxyAwB80C4

UK Lord Speaker Lord McFall of Alcluith on populism in politics

Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)

The tables were turned in the latest episode of Lord Speaker’s Corner as outgoing Lord Speaker, Lord McFall of Alcluith, was interviewed by Baroness Hazarika.

Lord McFall shares his views on populism in politics, and reflects on nearly 40 years at Westminster as an MP, minister and member of the Lords.

📺 Watch the full episode now https://orlo.uk/Z2Abb or search ‘House of Lords’ wherever you get your podcasts.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WYlr_laBark

Drug Exposures in the Forensic Laboratory: What We Know, What We Can Learn

Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)

Highly toxic, synthetic drugs introduce significant health hazards to the forensic laboratory. Understanding current knowledge and best practices will help laboratories manage their liability. This presenter covered topics such as known risks of handling hazardous drugs, creating a practical framework for the assessment, development, and improvement of safety systems, and additional research needed regarding exposure risks.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on June 25, 2020.

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uusI3o0R7B0

Molecular Identification of Insects Relevant to Medicolegal Casework

Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)

Molecular identification is advantageous for medicolegal death investigations involving entomological activity. This enables species-level identification of immature specimens necessary for estimating post-mortem interval and may be performed without specialized training or resources. The presenter describes a strategy effective for relevant species and demonstrates analysis of casework-type samples.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 2, 2021.

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9jdXKvwewI

Two-Pronged Study of Bullets Fired by Consecutively Rifled Barrels

Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)

In this study, firearms examiners were asked to use traditional microscopic methods to identify unknown bullets to the appropriate barrels. Additionally, 3D scans of these bullets were used in a matching algorithm to find similarity scores between bullets. Error rates were determined and the potential for subclass carry-over among the barrels was evaluated.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 16, 2021.

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztBVo1JGDp8

Glock Pistol Toolmarks: A Literature Review and Introduction of Undocumented Toolmarks

Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)

This webinar will expand examiners’ awareness of additional areas of interest for identification purposes. Two previously undocumented toolmarks were observed in Glock pistols and could potentially be used for other make/model pistols. These new toolmarks will expand an examiner’s ability to compare fired and unfired ammunition components to each other or to a suspect firearm.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 12, 2021.

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGcSXnt8FSE

Exploration of Breech Face Subclass Characteristics

Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)

This study assesses the production of subclass characteristics during the manufacturing of breech faces. Observations on how well subclass characteristics persist on manufactured breech faces with and without any finishing methods as well as the effect of the primer on the quality/quantity of the breech face impressions will be discussed.  

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on December 9, 2021.

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvbIwo04XLs

Million of displaced Syrians return home

Source: United Nations (video statements)

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 1.4 million Syrians have voluntarily returned from neighbouring countries since December 2024, alongside 2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) who have gone back to their areas of origin.
Céline Schmitt, spokesperson for #UNHCR in #Syria, explains how UN agencies are responding on the ground.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0-HHecn4QSI

Data Systems Imperative in 21st Century Forensic Services

Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)

Forensic science services cannot succeed in the 21st century without active information technology. Interoperability, agility, availability, and security are all critical. This presentation focuses on the preparation and best practices for implementing data systems that serve both internal operations and national strategies.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on November 16, 2021.

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0c1OQOu3mw