SAFFTE 2024 presentations
STRANGER THINGS
This presentation delves into the intriguing world of unconventional firearm examination case studies.
FIRST RESPONDER TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE
This session will provide insights into vicarious trauma and the sequelae of compound trauma accumulated over the course of a first responder career. Multi-faceted and evidence-based resilience strategies will be introduced, providing attendees with tangible skills to combat the insidious effects of unresolved secondary trauma, enabling a mindset to survive and thrive.
THE RECOVERY OF HOUSTON
Houston TX experienced a widely known failure of its police forensic laboratory. This gave rise to the Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) as a separate entity to provide forensic services to the City of Houston. HFSC is a very large forensic laboratory and has made significant progress at remediating the past failures and improving public trust in forensic testing. HFSC has a large and robust blind testing program, which has provided many insights into the challenges forensic laboratories face.
UNDERSTANDING DAUBERT/NENNO HEARINGS: IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
The critical legal processes of Daubert and Nenno hearings play pivotal roles in determining the admissibility of expert testimony in courts. Through case examples and analysis, this presentation elucidates the nuanced procedures, challenges, and best practices associated with Daubert and Nenno hearings, providing invaluable insights for law enforcement and forensic practitioners navigating these complex evidentiary standards.
FORENSIC FIREARMS AND CRIME SCENE RECONSTRUCTION
A legal perspective on the role that forensic firearms can play when crime scene reconstruction experts surface in your case.
BRAIN FREEZE (In place of "Look to the SCCY")
Is that late night dessert worth your life? Go inside Dallas PD Homicide detective's case investigation of a shooting that occurred at the most unexpected time.
IMPLICIT BIAS & SCIENCE
The field of Behavioral Ethics--founded in research from such diverse areas as Brain Science, Behavioral Psychology, Primatology, and Evolutionary Biology—studies how and why people make the ethical and unethical decisions that they do. Research indicates that people’s moral decisions are often unconsciously influenced by a variety of social and organizational pressures, environmental factors, and various cognitive heuristics and biases. Scientists have studied the Conformity Bias, the Self-serving Bias, the Overconfidence Bias, and Implicit Bias, the subject of this presentation.
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT FROM A QA/QC PERSPECTIVE
How short term, focused improvement projects aim to increase productivity and enhance quality in forensic operations.
THE IMPACT OF FIREARMS ON THE TRAUMA POPULATION
The impact of gun violence through the eyes of a trauma surgeon.
RETHINKING QUALITY ISSUES TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY IN FORENSIC SCIENCE
A new perspective on the issues detected in forensic science agencies could be the key to unlocking this vital data and how, by using a collaborative, interjurisdictional approach, this may be utilized to enhance understandings of “error” in forensic science, enable the identification of opportunities for innovation and improvement and ultimately improve trust and integrity in forensic science to support justice outcomes for the community.
AUTOMATED TRIAGE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF FIREARMS & TOOLMARK CASEWORK
A review of high volume triage using 3D topography algorithms to streamline casework.