The application of science to
criminal and civil laws that
are enforced by police
agencies in a criminal justice
system.
Forensic Science relies on
the scientist’s ability to
supply accurate and
objective information that
reflects the events that
have occurred at a crime
- Writer of the works
centered around Sherlock
Holmes.
- Utilized the principles of
serology, fingerprinting,
firearm identification,
document examination long
before their value was
recognized by real-life
investigators.
Alphonse Bertillion (1853-1914)
Developed the first scientific
system of personal identification
known as Anthropometry
A systematic procedure of taking a
series of body measurements as a
means of distinguishing
individuals.
Information Sheet
Will West
William West
Francis Galton (1822-1911)
Did the first definitive study of
fingerprints.
Dr. Karl Landsteiner (1868-1943)
In the early 1900’s he
discovered that human
blood can be grouped
into different categories
of A, AB, B, and O.
Leone Lattes (1817-1954)
Developed a procedure for
determining the blood group of a
dried blood stain. This method is
still used today.
Calvin Goddard (1891-1955)
Utilized the comparison microscope
to analyze bullets
Albert S. Osborn (1858-1946)
Developed the fundamental
principles of document examination
Edmond Locard (1877-1966)
Developed the first
police crime lab in
Lyons, France.
Also developed:
Locard’s
Exchange
Principle
States: When a
criminal comes in
contact with an
object or person,
a cross-transfer of
evidence occurs.
August Vollmer (1876-1955)
Set up the oldest
forensic lab in the
U.S. with the Los
Angles Police
Department in the
mid 1920’s
In the 1930’s, the FBI organized a
national lab that offered forensic
services to all law enforcement
agencies.
1972 – The California Dept. of
Justice established a network of
state-operated crime labs which
became a model system of
integrated forensic labs consisting
of regional and satellite facilities.