FIJIT Frankston International Junior Investigation Team Agent s Handbook
Agent s Details This manual belongs to: Agent s Oath As a FIJIT Agent: I will always be truthful with my colleagues and superiors I will always be professional in public when collecting evidence I will always seek help, if I need it I will always do my work to the best of my ability FIJIT Badge The FIJIT badge is our symbol and what we stand for. The shield is a symbol of unity, protection and teamwork. The dolphins represent our school and the City of Frankston in which we learn and live. The five-pointed star represents our strength and determination. The Latin motto Veritati quidem semper means Truth always. This is also part of our oath.
Definitions What is Forensic Science? The application of all forms of science to aid legal investigations, including such fields as medical pathology, chemistry, biology, physics and psychology. What is Evidence? Any items, documents and statements that are included in a legal investigation for the jury s or judge s consideration in the determination of an individual s guilt or innocence. Evidence can be physical (actual items) or non-physical (recorded criminal or witness statements). Small Forensic Glossary AFIS: Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Autopsy: The internal medical examination of a body used to determine the cause and circumstances of death. Chromatography: A technique used to separate a sample into its components based on the speed at which they move through a stationary matrix. Coroner: A medical examiner or elected official who may, in some jurisdictions, lead a death investigation. Criminology: The study of criminal activity and legal procedure. DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid. The genetic material contained in cells. Fingerprint: The unique pattern created by the ridges found on the palm side skin of fingers and thumbs. Pathology: A branch of medical science studying the cause, nature and effect of diseases and cause of death. Psychological Profile A method of gathering speculative information regarding a suspect s psychological makeup in order to aid the investigation.
Fingerprints Every person on has a unique set of fingerprints (no two are the same, even identical twins have different fingerprints)! Fingerprints were first used as signatures and seals in Ancient China in 220 BC. The Persians first realised that fingerprints could be used to identify people in the 14th century. In 1858 Sir William Herschel noted that fingerprints could be used to identify unknown individuals and started keeping records of them. In 1892, the first person was convicted of murder based on fingerprint evidence left at the scene of the crime. Bloody fingerprints were found and matched to the murderer. In 1901 Scotland Yard began collecting and storing fingerprints of criminals for identification purposes. Other countries around the world soon followed. Fingerprints of people can be collected by using ink then printing the fingertips onto paper. Modern fingerprinting techniques now also use scanners to quickly capture and compare fingerprints. M A S T E R S K I L L Identifying fingerprints is an essential skill all FIJIT agents must master before graduation.
Activity Fingerprints can be classified into 4 main pattern types: 1. Arches 2. Loops 3. Whorls 4. Composites As FIJIT agents you need to know how to collect fingerprints from people using the ink and paper method. Using the supplied equipment collect a full set of fingerprints from your partner. Try to keep the page free of extra smudges that will make identification more difficult. Under each of your fingerprints classify the pattern type using the pictures above to help you. Extra Activities 1. What is the most common pattern type on your hands? 2. What is the most common pattern type on your partner s hands? 3. What is the most common pattern type in the whole team? 4. Is their a difference between boys and girls? Clean Up Tip Taking fingerprints is messy! Use the cleaning cloths and soap provided. If you are having trouble removing ink please ask for help from a fellow agent or a supervisor.
Facial Composites A facial composite is a graphical representation (a picture or drawing) of an eyewitness memory of a face. This can be drawn by a police artist by hand or using a special computer program. Facial composites are used mainly by police in their investigation of (usually serious) crimes. These images can also used to reconstruct a victim s face in hope of identifying them. Before computer programs were available for to help create faces, a method called Photo-Fit was developed. Photo-Fit used individual photo strips of facial segments to build a whole face just like a jigsaw puzzle. You can see in the photograph the different segments like the eyes, nose, mouth, chin, ears etc These could all be changed to make different faces. Photo-Fit has been replaced by Identi-kit computer software. The eyewitness sits together with the police officer who helps them reconstruct a face of the criminal from their memories. M A S T E R S K I L L Creating facial composites is an essential skill all FIJIT agents must master before graduation.
Activity Familiarise yourself with the Flash Face program which can be found at: http://flashface.ctapt.de/ 1. Using the Flash Face program you need to construct a picture of your partner s face, print it and stick it on your form. 2. Now swap places and have your partner construct your face, print it and stick it on their form. Extra Activities 1. Using each other s printed face create a WANTED poster. Can your fellow agents identify who your picture is supposed to be? 2. See if you can construct a picture of a member of your family from memory and print it out. Take it home and compare it to the actual person. How good was your memory?
Impression Casts It is sometimes necessary, at a crime scene, to make a cast of a shoe or vehicle tyre mark in soil or sand. Plaster of Paris can be used to make a cast of a track. This preserves the mark for later examination by a forensic scientist. The process is not difficult, can be fun, and can also be used to make casts of bird and animal tracks too! Casts can be used as evidence of a person s presence at the scene of a crime or incident. The mark left by someone s shoe, car or bicycle tyre can link them to being at the scene of the crime. This type of technique produces a three-dimensional (3D) cast of the impression which can be compared to the actual shoe or tyre that made the original track. M A S T E R S K I L L Creating an impression cast is an essential skill all FIJIT agents must master before graduation.
Activity Making an impression cast is easy just follow the steps below. 1. Find or make an impression. 2. If the impression is in sand we need to preserve the impression using hairspray to glue the top particles together. 3. Mix the correct amount of water with the plaster mixture in the bag and mix powder until it becomes a soft paste. 4. Pour plaster mixture carefully into the imprint. You can place a cardboard border around the impression to keep the plaster in place. 5. Add an ID tag to the top of the plaster cast it should have the following information: your name; date you made the impression; and the location of the impression. 6. Wait at least 15 minutes* for the plaster to set. 7. Carefully dig out the impression cast. 8. Leave impression casts on newspaper to dry overnight until completely hard before cleaning off sand and other debris. To preserve your impression cast keep it wrapped in newspaper and store it in a shoebox. * Setting time is dependant on the plaster you are using and the weather conditions. In this activity we used dental plaster which has a faster setting time than ordinary plaster of Paris.
Chromatography Paper chromatography was discovered in 1943 to separate different plant pigments. We can use this technique to find out what inks are used to make up different black inks. The test ink is placed at bottom end of the paper column. A solution in which the ink is soluble in is used to separate the ink into its different parts. As the solvent moves up the paper column, it carries the different parts up with it creating a distinct pattern, or chemical fingerprint unique to that ink. This type of test can determine the parts that make up the ink in different pens. Once this data has been collected, the origin of an unknown pen mark can then determined. Modern day forensic labs use much more sophisticated techniques and equipment, but they rely on the same principles. The equipment pictured here is a gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer. These machines create graphs of the individual components that make up a substance. This graph can be used to accurately identify an unknown substance and link it to a crime scene. M A S T E R S K I L L Reading and analysing chromatography is an essential skill all FIJIT agents must master before graduation.
Activity Are all black markers the same? Are black inks made from the same ingredients or are they made out of different dyes? We are going to do a chromatography experiment to find out. Forensic scientists use chromatography to analyse chemicals and liquids found at crime scenes. Follow the instructions on the separate instruction sheet. Testing known samples Begin by using the four known black pens. What did you notice about each pen and the colours that made up the ink? Do you get similar results from the same brands? What is the most common ingredient in black ink? Testing an unknown sample Test the notes made by unknown markers and determine which pen was used to write the notes. How can you test the note without destroying the evidence? Were the results easy to interpret or would you need to do further testing? Note: this activity uses water soluble inks. Permanent markers will not work in this experiment. Why? Weblink: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn5yiy0wm6o
Assessment of Master Skills M A S T E R S K I L L Skill Date Result Comment Fingerprints Facial composites Impression cast Chromatography Forensic Websites Here is a small list of websites you might find interesting. Maybe one day you might consider a career in forensic science! CSI: The Experience http://forensics.rice.edu/ Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine http://www.vifm.org/ Forensics For Kids http://www.forensicscience.org/resources/forensics-for-kids/