NCJ Number
43448
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 50 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1977) Pages: 29-36
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
USE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE TO ANALYZE PAINT, GLASS, AND BLOOD AND URINE ALCOHOL CONTENT IS DESCRIBED IN DETAIL, AND THE ROLE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS IN ENGLAND IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THIS INFORMAL PRESENTATION EXAMINES THE SIGNIFICANCE, LIMITATIONS, AND USE OF TYPICAL FORENSIC FINDINGS IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON BLOOD ALCOHOL, PAINT, AND GLASS ANALYSIS IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS. THE USE OF CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, AND BIOLOGY IN INVESTIGATIVE WORK IS INCREASING. THE FORENSIC SCIENTIST MUST BE ABLE NOT ONLY TO ANALYZE HIS FINDINGS, BUT ALSO TO PRESENT THEM IN CLEAR, BRIEF TERMS EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE BY THE COURT. THE BASIC RULE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE IS 'EVERY CONTACT LEAVES ITS TRACE.' IN GENERAL, THE LESS COMMON THE MATERIAL, THE GREATER THE EVIDENTIAL VALUE. CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH A SUBSTANCE IS FOUND MAY ENHANCE THE SIGNIFICANCE ATTACHED TO IT. OCCURRENCE TOGETHER OF MORE THAN ONE MATERIAL IS GENERALLY OF GREATER VALUE THAN OF A SINGLE MATERIAL. A CROSS OR TWO-WAY EXCHANGE OF MATERIAL IS OF MORE WORTH THAN A ONE-WAY TRANSFER. THE GATHERING OF EVIDENCE SHOULD BE DONE BY TRAINED PERSONS BECAUSE TRACES MAY BE VISIBLE IN THE LABORATORY WHICH ARE NOT VISIBLE IN THE FIELD. USE OF SOLVENT TESTS, SPECTROGRAPHS, LASER MICROPROBES, AND SPECIALIZED TECHNIQUES TO ANALYZE PAINT SAMPLES ARE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED. COMMON TECHNIQUES FOR EXAMINING THICKNESS, COLOR, FLUORESCENCE, DENSITY, AND REFRACTIVE INDEX OF GLASS ARE GIVEN. VARIOUS TESTS FOR ALCOHOL IN BLOOD OR URINE ARE DESCRIBED AND CAUTIONS GIVEN ABOUT THEIR INTERPRETATIONS. QUALITY CONTROL AND SELF-DISCIPLINE IS URGED FOR FORENSIC LABORATORIES TO HELP MAINTAIN A REPUTATION FOR INTEGRITY.