Iowa Division International Association for Identification

From the President:

On behalf of all members of the Iowa Division of the International Association for Identification (I.A.I.) - WELCOME - to what we hope will be a most educational experience for you. The Iowa I.A.I. was formed in 1963 as the 6th state chapter of the parent body - International Association for Identification. We have over 200 Active, Life, and Associate members and are proud to present this resource for the study of law enforcement forensics. As you browse our website, it is our hope that you will gain a strong appreciation for such scientific disciplines as fingerprints, photography, footwear, DNA, and more. Our site contains over 300 articles and links from around the world, and we thank all of them for their fine work. We are especially pleased that many of the articles in the categories listed to the right were authored by Iowa I.A.I. members. If you would like to contribute to our website, please contact our website host. (See: 4N6 Editor - elsewhere on this page.)

President Lowell Willock
Mason City Police Department
78 South Georgia Street
Mason City, IA 50401
(641) 421-3636
lwillock@masoncity.net

Contact the Iowa I.A.I.

Our Feature Article:

The Madrid Bombing Case
Robert B. Stacey; Unit Chief
Quality Assurance and Training Unit
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quantico, Virginia

In the aftermath of the March 11, 2004, train bombing in Madrid, Spain, personnel from the FBI Latent Print Unit performed a fingerprint analysis and reported an individualization of a latent print with a candidate print from an Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification (IAFIS) search. It was subsequently determined that the individualization was in error, and the latent print was ultimately identified with a different subject. This report provides information regarding the corrective actions the FBI Laboratory implemented upon recognizing the error, an outline of significant events surrounding the FBI's fingerprint investigation, and a synopsis of the comments by an international committee. More ...

A Study into the Confidence and Concerns of the
Forensic Examiner

Past experience tells me that pressure can lead to lack of confidence. Lack of confidence can lead to poor production ... turnover within an agency translates to inexperience, which leads to lack of confidence, and so the cycle continues ...

4N6

4N6 is the official publication of the Iowa I.A.I., and is published quarterly. Articles published in the newsletter cover a wide range of forensic disciplines. You may view the cover of our latest issue here. If you would like to contribute to our publication, please contact our Editor:

Robert E. Kramer
Police Department - 220 Clay Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-268-5132
cfpdlab@mchsi.com

The I.A.I. state divisions of The Dakota's, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa are getting together yet again for a Mid-States Conference in 2006. We are very early in the planning stages, but are giving you this opportunity to mark your calendars early.

Details on the 2006
Mid-States I.A.I. Divisions Conference

Much more on this conference will be available and posted as time goes on. Check back often.

Please take the time to visit our sponsors. The Iowa I.A.I. appreciates the endorsement of these fine companies.