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NIST and the Law Enforcement Community |
| NIST admits to being an accomplice to the law enforcement community in the development and improvement of forensic technologies and crime fighting resources. | Highly publicized criminal cases have helped
to make "DNA Testing" a household term. DNA is the molecular
medium in which is written the 100,000 or so genes that genetically
define a human being. In forensic applications, a DNA test typically
involves the exact reading out of certain portions of this medium that
vary from person to person in such a way that they can constitute a
genetic fingerprint. If the DNA readout from blood acquired at a crime
scene matches the DNA readout from a blood sample taken from a defendant,
a prosecutor can use that match as physical evidence implicating a defendant
in the crime.
Since the use of DNA testing is increasing and the costs of mistaken readouts are so high, the U.S. Department of Justice asked the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a standard protocol by which laboratories that do DNA tests can assure that they are getting it right. Researchers in NIST's Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory took on the challenge and produced, in essence, a biochemical SAT. Laboratories that carry out tests with the DNA, cells, and other materials provided in the kit and that get results agreeing with the certified values from NIST know they are performing the analysis accurately. If the results differ, however, the NIST profiling standard can help identify where problems are occurring.
DNA testing is not the only way NIST has a place in the U.S. judicial system. The Office of Law Enforcement Standards in NIST's Electronics and Electrical Engineering Laboratory does research on equipment used by police, such as police traffic radar, and writes standards for a variety of police equipment including body armor. Since 1985, NIST has provided Standard Reference Materials for use in the calibration of instruments, such as breathalyzers, and techniques for the determination of ethanol in breath and blood. The standard consists of sealed vials containing NIST-certified water-ethanol solutions containing specific amounts of alcohol. Police officers and clinicians can use these both for testing their own accuracy and as comparisons for the blood and breath alcohol measurements. Getting it right can mean a huge difference in court. How about fingerprints? NIST's Information Technology Laboratory has its hands all over state-of-the-art and next generation fingerprint recognition technology. Mugshots? The Information Technology Laboratory also is an accomplice with the law enforcement community and industry in the quest to improve the quality and power of facial recognition technology as well as improving the standards of mug shot practice to make this valuable law enforcement resource even better. |
