Overview Forensic professionals often work in dynamic and atypical environments, where they are exposed to sensitive case details, work closely with law enforcement counterparts, and are required to make important decisions quickly. As a result, forensic professionals are vulnerable to…
Category: Tools
Operational Needs Assessment Intake Form
Overview Pursuant to the March 2024 Joint Explanatory Statement for the Commerce, Science, Justice, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, the National Institute of Justice, in collaboration with its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), is working towards an operational needs…
Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for Labor Expenditure Associated With Sexual Assault Kit Processing Workflows
Overview Updated: February 2025 Original: August 2022 Forensic Science Service Providers (FSSPs) can use different workflows to process sexual assault kit (SAK) evidence, and the workflow is often selected based on available resources. In an era of constrained local and…
Latent Print Technical Leader Working Group (LPTL-WG)
Latent Print Technical Leader Working Group The Latent Print Technical Leader Working Group (LPTL-WG), supported by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International, is an emerging community of…
Criminal Justice and Public Health Response for Emerging Drug Threats
Overview In a joint effort with the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP), FTCOE develops capabilities that meet the needs of forensic science organizations to improve collaborations across the criminal justice and public…
Forensic Science Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Application
Overview Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a risk management tool that identifies and quantifies the influence of failures or potential failures in processes or activities. The application automates FMEA by evaluating the level of risk associated with an…
Drug Surveillance Initiatives: An FTCOE Repository of Resources
Date Last Updated: September 2024 Published: December 2023 Overview In the realm of drug surveillance, a multitude of data sources originate from diverse funding agencies, including but not limited to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Institute on Drug Abuse…
General Provider Resources: Medical Records for Medicolegal Death Investigations Toolkit
Overview In September 2020, The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) – in partnership with its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International and the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – convened…
Interactive Map: Medicolegal Death Investigation Data Flow
Overview The National Institute of Justice (NIJ)—in partnership with its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) at RTI International and the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—convened a virtual Medicolegal Death Investigation Data Exchange…
Scene Investigation Video Vignettes
Overview In partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP, formerly COSSAP), FTCOE and its partners produced a series of short videos on how law enforcement officers, first responders, and other stakeholders…