2022 Firearm and Toolmarks Policy and Practice Forum

Abstract

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, an NIJ program hosted a four-day symposium, January 11–14, 2022. The symposium included presentations and panel discussions on topics relevant to recent advances in firearm and toolmark examination with a focus on the future. The symposium brought together 685 criminal justice professionals to explore implementation of three-dimensional (3D) imaging technologies, best practices for forensic examination of firearm and toolmark evidence, federal initiatives, gun crime intelligence, black box studies on firearm and toolmark examination, legal challenges to the admissibility of current examination of firearm and toolmark evidence and engineering solutions that will be used in court in the future, implementation of Organization of Scientific Area Committee (OSAC) standards and reporting, uniform language in testimony and conclusion scales. The panel discussions and presentations and provided examples of how agencies implement new imaging technologies for firearms and toolmark examination, incorporate statistics to add weight to forensic comparisons, address legal issues, and operationalize forensic intelligence to improve public safety and share information with the justice community. The symposium also provided a platform to discuss a series of considerations for the forensic, law enforcement, and greater criminal justice community that could help support a successful national transition to incorporate statistics in forensic testimony and accelerate the adoption of imaging technologies for firearm and toolmark examination.