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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Investigation of Federal Bureau of Investigation bomb-related death and injury data in the United States between 1988 and 1997.

OBJECTIVE: The study of physical injury from terrorist explosives is an increasing international area of research. However, there are few data sets to characterize the scope of injury and death from these devices. Therefore, one option is to begin evaluating statistics reported by a nontraditional public health data source, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Bomb Data Center. METHODS: We reviewed data reported by the FBI Bomb Data Center for the years 1988-1997 and analyzed the number of bomb-related deaths and injuries and incidence of bombings. RESULTS: The FBI reported 17,579 bombings, 427 related deaths, and 4,063 injuries in the United States between 1988 and 1997. The benefits of this data are reporting of information not normally found in public health data, including type of explosive device and explosive composition. The primary limitations include lack of case comparison and unknown methods of data reporting and data collection. CONCLUSION: To completely study physical injury from explosive devices requires a systematic and comprehensive data set. The FBI data provides an interesting statistical resource to assess the scope of injury from bombs in the United States, but at the current time cannot be used for extensive epidemiological analysis.

Blast Injuries↗

Stress management in the Federal Bureau of Investigation: principles for program development.

Images from the destruction of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the compound in Waco, Texas, the World Trade Center in New York City, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, burned themselves into the public's consciousness as disasters viewed from a distance. Many law enforcement officers and rescue workers experienced those images firsthand. Headlines flash in newspapers, and sound bites blare on the airwaves as many law enforcement professionals suffer in silence. With increasing frequency, such major critical incidents, as well as smaller-scale events such as shootings, accidents, and personal tragedies--which all emergency response personnel encounter throughout their careers--encroach on their daily lives and may cause intense stress reactions. Managers within the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) commit to mitigating the ill effects of stressors on fellow employees. The FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and the Employee Assistance Unit work together to teach FBI employees a three-step process--how to recognize, understand, and cope with the stress in their lives. Given the alarming increase in violence, terrorism, and related crimes, there exists a myriad of organizations as well as other law enforcement agencies which could benefit from a similar formula. This paper describes how the FBI operationalizes stress management.

Burnout, Professional↗

A note on Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium of VNTR data by using the Federal Bureau of Investigation's fixed-bin method.

To fully utilize the information of VNTR data for forensic inference, the probability of observing the matching suspect and evidentiary profile in a reference population is estimated, usually by assuming independence of alleles within and between loci. This assumption has been challenged on the basis of the observation that there is frequently an excess of single-band phenotypes (SBP) in forensic data bases, which could indicate lack of independence. Nevertheless, another explanation is that the excess SBP are artifacts of laboratory methods. In this report we examine the excess of SBP for three VNTR loci studied by the FBI (D17S79 and D2S44, for blacks, and D14S13, for Caucasians). The FBI claims that the excess is due to the effect of null alleles; the null alleles are suspected to be too small to be detected. We estimate the frequency of null alleles for two loci (D17S79 and D14S13) by comparing, for these loci, the data from the FBI data base and the data from the Lifecodes data base. These comparisons yield information on small fragments because Lifecodes uses the restriction enzyme PstI, which yields larger fragments than does HaeIII, which the FBI uses. For D17S79 in blacks, we estimate a null allele frequency of 4.4%, and, for D14S13 in Caucasians, we estimate a frequency of 3.0%. The null-allele frequency for D2S44 in blacks is derived similarly, again being based on analyses of DNA cut with HaeIII and PstI; our estimate of the null-allele frequency for this locus is 1.5%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alleles↗

Bioterrorism alleging use of anthrax and interim guidelines for management--United States, 1998.

From October 30 through December 23, 1998, CDC received reports of a series of bioterroristic threats of anthrax exposure. Letters alleged to contain anthrax were sent to health clinics on October 30, 1998, in Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. During December 17-23 in California, a letter alleged to contain anthrax was sent to a private business, and three telephone threats of anthrax contamination of ventilation systems were made to private and public buildings. All threats were hoaxes and are under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement officials. The public health implications of these threats were investigated to assist in developing national public health guidelines for responding to bioterrorism. This report summarizes the findings of these investigations and provides interim guidance for public health authorities on bioterrorism related to anthrax.

Anthrax↗

Impact of DNA typing on standards and practice in the forensic community.

This article reviews the history of DNA-based human identification from its inception in 1985. Since the development of the technology, experts called for setting of standards and use of proficiency tests for quality assurance measures. The response of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to DNA forensic standards needs was catalyzed by the Technical Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods, sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with funding provided by the National Institute of Justice. Standard reference materials were developed for the original technologies used in DNA identification and for the newer polymerase chain reaction-based technologies. Adoption of recommended standards developed through the Federal Bureau of Investigation-commissioned DNA Advisory Board show the acceptance of National Institute of Standards and Technology standards for calibration of laboratory protocols. New technologies will require a process of validation and continued testing through the use of proficiency tests, such as those provided through the College of American Pathologists. Robotics and parallel processing of samples will lead to increased efficiency in DNA testing. The use of DNA data banks of convicted felons will increase dramatically with the the Federal Bureau of Investigation's national implementation of a computerized identification system known as the Combined DNA Index System. This system that will make major use of short, tandem, repeat genetic systems and will be the major driver of technology for the next 5 to 10 years. Finally, sample collection and training are of major concern for those who look at the long-term impact of DNA testing in forensic laboratories.

DNA↗

Significant correlation of trauma epidemiology with the economic conditions of a community.

HYPOTHESIS: Depressed economic conditions are associated with increased trauma and violent crime. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data. SETTING AND INTERVENTIONS: Population and labor force data from 1992 to 2002 were obtained from the state Employment Development Department and the US Census Bureau. County data regarding the total number of trauma activations and mechanism of trauma were recorded. Crime statistics were obtained from the state Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Correlation statistics were performed. Health care coverage for victims of penetrating trauma was also analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation between unemployment rate, trauma epidemiology, and crime indexes. RESULTS: The correlation between the percentage penetrating trauma and the unemployment rate was R = 0.92 (Orange County, California) and R = 0.95 (Los Angeles County, California) (P<.001). The unemployment rate was also tightly correlated with Federal Bureau of Investigation crime indexes in both counties and in the state (P<.001). The overall county population was positively correlated with the total number of trauma occurrences in both counties (P<.001) but was negatively correlated with the number of penetrating traumas and crime indexes (P<.001). Seventy-five percent of penetrating trauma victims had no health care coverage or had state or county aid only. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of violent crime in a community is closely associated with the unemployment rate of that community and will vary longitudinally over time. The overall county population is less important. These data may be used for public policy initiatives regarding resource allocation to trauma centers, law enforcement planning, and programs aimed at crime prevention.

California↗

Collaboration between public health and law enforcement: new paradigms and partnerships for bioterrorism planning and response.

The biological attacks with powders containing Bacillus anthracis sent through the mail during September and October 2001 led to unprecedented public health and law enforcement investigations, which involved thousands of investigators from federal, state, and local agencies. Following recognition of the first cases of anthrax in Florida in early October 2001, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were mobilized to assist investigators from state and local public health and law enforcement agencies. Although public health and criminal investigations have been conducted in concert in the past, the response to the anthrax attacks required close collaboration because of the immediate and ongoing threat to public safety. We describe the collaborations between CDC and FBI during the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks and highlight the challenges and successes of public health and law enforcement collaborations in general.

Anthrax↗

Qualitative identification of doxacurium and its breakdown products in postmortem fluids by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

During a death investigation at the Office of the Cuyahoga County Coroner in Cleveland, OH, doxacurium became a drug of interest. The Coroner's Office enlisted the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory for the doxacurium analysis. Following the request, a method for the extraction and qualitative analysis of the drug in biological fluids was developed. The procedure relies on a simple solid-phase extraction procedure followed by qualitative analysis with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. During the development of the new analytical procedure, two breakdown products of doxacurium were detected. Structures for these breakdown products are proposed. This procedure was used to analyze heart blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and bile specimens from the decedent. Doxacurium and its breakdown products were identified in all three specimens.

Cerebrospinal Fluid↗

Forensic DNA analysis and the United States Government.

All three branches of the United States Government are, directly or indirectly, promoting the use and judicial acceptance of forensic DNA analysis. In addition, the establishment of a US national DNA databank has been authorized. The US Congress has passed the 'DNA Identification Act of 1994', which provides, inter alia, funding to the states for developing and/or improving forensic laboratories capable of conducting DNA analysis, and also creates a framework for federal supervision of forensic DNA technology. Specifically, the Executive Branch, through the Department of Justice and particularly its Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been directed to develop standards and practices in order to speed the admissibility of forensic DNA analysis as scientifically acceptable evidence in US courts. Finally, the federal judiciary has been ordered by the US Supreme Court to abandon or modify the 70-year-old Frye standard, which the Federal courts previously used to determine whether scientific evidence is deemed admissible, a move that will directly impact the judicial acceptance of forensic DNA analysis in all federal courts and undoubtedly will affect the admissibility of DNA evidence in many American state courts.

Criminal Law↗

The relationship between lead and crime.

This study investigates the association between air-lead levels and crime rates across 2,772 U.S. counties. Data for the analysis come from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of Census, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Results suggest that air-lead levels have a direct effect on property and violent crime rates even after adjusting for general levels of air pollution and several structural covariates of crime. We also find that resource deprivation interacts with air-lead levels. The association between air-lead levels and crime rates-property and violent-is strongest in counties that have high levels of resource deprivation and weakest in counties that have low levels of deprivation. This interaction is consistent with arguments and evidence in the health care literature that populations most at risk of lead poisoning are least likely to get the resources required to prevent, screen, and treat the illness.

Air Pollutants↗

Steven R. Brown on investigating kickbacks.

(Steven R. Brown is the corporate security manager of the Southwest region for ARCO Oil and Gas. He primarily investigates and oversees investigations involving kickback and conflict of interest cases. He has travelled extensively to lecture on the topic. His 25 years of law enforcement experience includes serving as an instructor for the National Academy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While Brown speaks frankly about kickback problems in a large oil company, the nature of this kind of employee/vendor theft and the techniques for uncovering it apply equally to any sizable company or institution, public or private.

Commerce↗

Child abduction: aged-based analyses of offender, victim, and offense characteristics in 550 cases of alleged child disappearance.

Crimes against children, particularly cases involving abduction and/or homicide, continue to be problematic as both a social phenomenon and judicial responsibility. Such cases routinely receive immense community and media attention and rapidly overwhelm investigative resources. Research in the area of childhood victimization, however, has only recently gained national prominence. While numerous studies on child abuse and neglect have been conducted, research on child abduction and homicide remains scant. Previous studies examining child abduction suffer from limited geographical scope or fail to base predictive analyses on victim characteristics. The current study reports the results of a nationally representative sample (47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico) of 550 cases of alleged child abduction obtained from Federal Bureau of Investigation files for the period 1985 through 1995. Study results demonstrate that both offender and offense characteristics vary significantly according to victim age, gender, and race. Such differences appear critical to crime reconstruction, criminal profiling, and investigative resolution. Additionally, these data suggest that current child abduction prevention programs may emphasize inaccurate offender traits.

Adolescent↗

The comprehensive sexual assault assessment tool.

The Comprehensive Sexual Assault Assessment Tool (CSAAT) was developed for collection of data about the victims and offenders in cases of rape and sexual assault. The CSAAT provides a systematic guide for victim assessment, evidence documentation, and initial treatment. Use of the CSAAT facilitates collection of investigative data about the victim and the offender that are critical components of victim interviews and crime investigations, as well as victim forensic data. The CSAAT can be used by health care professionals who care for the victims of sexual assault. The tool reflects the major concepts of the Roy Adaptation Model and was designed as a victim evaluation report for clinical and forensic purposes. The CSAAT can also be used to compile agency statistics, as part of the training for sexual assault nurse examiners, and to collect research data. A case study involving two victims illustrates the importance of evidence collection and use of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) for linking victims by offender DNA.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

The Missouri child fatality study: underreporting of maltreatment fatalities among children younger than five years of age, 1983 through 1986.

Estimates of the incidence of child maltreatment fatalities vary widely; most experts believe they are underreported. To investigate the suspicion that fatal maltreatment was underreported in Missouri preschool children, a statewide, population-based study was conducted using nine data sources. The study cases included the 384 children younger than age 5 who died from 1983 through 1986 and whose death certificates were coded with an external cause (injury) or whose deaths were substantiated as abuse or neglect fatalities by the Missouri Division of Family Services. Each fatality was categorized as one of the following: definite maltreatment, probable maltreatment, possible maltreatment, non-maltreatment, or inadequate information. Of the 121 cases classified as definite maltreatment, only 47.9% had codes consistent with maltreatment on their death certificates. The Division of Family Services had substantiated 79.3% of definite maltreatment cases as abuse or neglect fatalities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports database reported only 38.8% of these cases as homicides. In 37.2% of the cases, there was at least one criminal conviction. Child maltreatment fatalities are drastically underreported as such in Missouri because of inadequate investigations, lack of information-sharing between investigators and agencies, and reporting systems that fail to capture the contribution of maltreatment as a cause of death. Missouri has created a statewide system of child fatality review panels and a child fatality surveillance system to address the problems documented in this study.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

Criminal DNA databank statutes and medical research.

Every state and the federal government collects DNA from convicted individuals for certain crimes. Furthermore, most states participate in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Combined DNA Identification System, which allows states to share criminal DNA records for solving crimes. Some commentators claim that the statues that authorize this practice also would allow the government to use criminal DNA samples or records in medical or behavioral research. A careful reading of the statutes reveals that these assertions are either wrong or exaggerated. Only one state allows for medical research with records, and no state allows medical or behavioral research with DNA samples. This note explains that the DNA samples, not the DNA records, are needed in order to conduct medical or behavioral research. Moreover, this note shows that the statutory phrases "law enforcement purposes," "other humanitarian purposes," and "research" into quality control or protocol probably do not authorize medical or behavioral research.

Access to Information↗