Dec 22 2017
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door!
New York City Moves to Create Accountability for Algorithms (Forensic Magazine – 12/19/2017)
- The algorithms that play increasingly central roles in our lives often emanate from Silicon Valley, but the effort to hold them accountable may have another epicenter: New York City. Last week, the New York City Council unanimously passed a bill to tackle algorithmic discrimination — the first measure of its kind in the country.
Los Angeles Deputies Aim to Quell Tide of Human Trafficking (Forensic Magazine – 12/19/2017)
- The program employed by the sheriff’s department aims to get handcuffs on the traffickers and the men who pay for sex while offering services to sex workers who often are vulnerable children and young adults forced to sell their bodies to enrich their pimps.
How Yorkshire Detectives are Getting a High-Speed Forensics Boost to Help Solve Crimes (The Yorkshire Post – 12/19/2017)
- Vital forensic results from the scenes of serious crimes are being made available to Yorkshire detectives in almost ‘real time’ thanks to a groundbreaking pilot.
To Deter Criminals, Expand DNA Databases Instead of Prisons (The Washington Post – 12/19/2017)
When the government of Denmark increased the proportion of arrestees from whom police gathered DNA samples from 4 percent to 40 percent in just five months, a research team took advantage of the natural experiment to evaluate whether DNA databases reduce crime.
UofL, Harvard, USF Provide Model for Medical Schools to Teach Signs of Human Trafficking (Forensic Magazine – 12/20/2017)
As many as 88 percent of human trafficking victims in the United States interact with a health care professional while they are being exploited. These professionals’ ability to recognize the signs of human trafficking and intervene appropriately, however, is lacking due to an absence of training.
A new medical school curriculum to fill this training gap has been proposed and tested by researchers from the University of Louisville, Harvard University and the University of South Florida. Their research is published this month in Medical Education Online.
Rape Victim Care Improvements Set Out (BBC News – 12/20/2017)
- Improvements are to be made to services for victims of rape or sexual assault in Scotland.
Forensic Results Could End Speculation on Old Fox’s Bones (BBC News – 12/20/2017)
- The results of a forensic examination of bones linked to 270-year-old mystery are to be revealed next month.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS? SUBSCRIBE TO THE ISHI BLOG BELOW!