Footwear,
The Missed Evidence
"A Field
Guide to the Collection and Preservation of Forensic Footwear
Impression Evidence" |
|
Footwear,
The Missed Evidence
Editor: Dwane S. Hilderbrand
Publisher: Staggs
Publishing; 1999; 188 pages
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Footwear,
The Missed Evidence -- A Field Guide to the Collection
and Preservation of Forensic Footwear Impression Evidence
is a handbook designed to address the needs of the crime scene
investigator in the areas of collection and recovery of footwear
impression evidence. Written by an internationally recognized
authority in forensic footwear evidence, this 5 " by
8 " book can be carried in the field or used in the laboratory
as the primary reference on locating, collecting and recovering
footwear evidence.
From
the author of Footwear, The Missed Evidence:
The
purpose of Footwear, The Missed Evidence is to address the
needs of the crime scene investigator in the areas of collection
and recovery of footwear impression evidence. This is an area
in which the vast majority of crime scene investigators have
fallen drastically short. Invariably, we have allowed our
Crime Scene Investigators to develop tunnel vision syndrome
when it comes to crime scene processing. Today, everyone accepts
the potential for the presence of latent prints at a crime
scene, but we rarely look under our own feet. Footwear evidence
has been neglected to the extent that it has been used in
only a small percentage of cases.
As
I began to do my research and retrieve information about the
science of footwear, it became very apparent that there is
very little written. I was able to locate three major books
(two of which were out of print, but have now been reprinted),
numerous articles and short chapters in other books about
footwear evidence. It was astonishing to see how many books
on crime scene investigation and physical evidence were on
the market, and yet within these books was very little on
forensic footwear. No wonder this is an overlooked and misunderstood
science.
Footwear
evidence has been overlooked for two major reasons 1) the
lack of training and education in the proper search, collection
and preservation methods, and 2) the evidence is undervalued
or misunderstood. With the proper education in footwear evidence,
both of these concerns can be overcome. This type of evidence
has great evidentiary value when collected and preserved in
the correct manner. Footwear evidence can reveal the type
of shoe, the make, description, and, in some cases, approximate
or precise size. When a crime scene is searched and documented
in the correct manner, footwear evidence can also provide
or assist in determining the number of suspects, their path,
their involvement, and the events that occurred during the
crime.
The
learning methods used in this handbook center around two major
concepts: 1) To provide the reader with proper training and
education in footwear impression evidence, and 2) To provide
well thought out reasons and answers to a forensic science
that is undervalued or misunderstood by many law enforcement
people. This handbook will teach the crime scene investigator
to recognize, collect, and preserve footwear evidence in a
manner that the footwear examiners can work. This is done
with limited, but necessary equipment.
Crime
Scene Investigator should be willing to devote his time and
effort in proper collection and preservation and take on the
challenge of difficult impressions with a new outlook and
a much higher confidence level, thus resulting in more quality
footwear evidence that the footwear examiner can identify.
Secondly, the crime scene investigator should become more
time efficient in his collection and recovery methods.
A
friend of mine once said, "you become an expert in your
field when you take the initiative with a subject you enjoy,
learn it and study its art, conduct independent research in
that field and then share it with others. If you do this,
and do it because of the science, and not because someone
said so, you will have reached a pinnacle of professionalism
that is second to none. Learn to become your students' student."
(Timothy Hahn, 1994)
Comments from readers
of Footwear, The Missed Evidence:
"I didn't
realize the intensity of this line of investigation. Step
by step procedure led to very interesting discoveries. Would
suggest this to anyone in law enforcement."
"A
concise, user-friendly, step-by-step guide geared to perfecting
the securing of crime scenes. Detective work has long needed
such a helpful guide."
"A
very comprehensive, easy to follow book. I found it not only
interesting but extremely applicable!"
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