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FTCoE Firearm and Toolmarks Webinar Series will Feature Presentations by CSAFE Researchers

FTCoE Firearm and Toolmarks Webinar Series
(Image from the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence website)

Researchers from the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) will present two webinars for the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) Firearm and Toolmarks Webinar Series. The four-part webinar series will be held in December and January.

CSAFE researchers will present the following webinars:

Veronica Franklin
Veronica Franklin

Exploration of Breech Face Subclass Characteristics  
December 9, 1–2 p.m. ET

Presenter: Veronica Franklin
Franklin is a Ph.D. candidate in forensic science at West Virginia University. She is studying under Keith Morris, a CSAFE co-director and the Ming Hsieh Distinguished Teaching Professor of forensic and investigative science.

Webinar Description: 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.

Heike Hofmann and Melissa Nally
Heike Hofmann and Melissa Nally

Two-Pronged Study of Bullets Fired by Consecutively Rifled Barrels
December 16, 1–2 p.m. ET

Presenters: Heike Hofmann and Melissa Nally
Hofmann is a professor of statistics and professor-in-charge of the Data Science Program at Iowa State University. Nally is a senior firearms examiner at the Houston Forensic Science Center. She is also a member of CSAFE’s Research and Technology Transfer Advisory Board.

Webinar Description: In this study, examiners used traditional microscopic methods to identify unknown bullets to the appropriate barrels, and 3D scans of the bullets were used in a matching algorithm to find similarity scores.  Error rates and the potential for subclass carry-over were evaluated.

For more information about the Firearm and Toolmarks Webinar Series and to register, visit https://forensiccoe.org/firearm-toolmarks-webinar-series/.

The webinar series is a lead-up to FTCoE’s virtual Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum on Jan. 11–14, 2022. The forum will discuss the foundations of firearm and toolmark examination and address the implementation of new technologies into workflows.

For more information about CSAFE’s research on firearms and toolmarks analysis, including links to recent publications and webinars, visit https://forensicstats.org/firearms-and-toolmark-analysis/.

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