Footprint Analysis In Forensic Science

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Introduction
Forensic Science, is defined as “the application of science to the criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system (Saferstein, 2013).” Analysis of footwear characteristics, impressions, and track ways can provide important evidence in a crime scene investigation.
The most common methods for lifting footwear impressions is to use a dusting method to lift the impression. You can use lifters such as electrostatic, gel, and adhesive lifters (Serena Wieser, Alad Izraeli, & and Avi Domb, 2013). Individual identifying characteristics can be used to see if individual characteristics have traits in common with the suspected source. Such characteristics might include cuts, scratches, gouges, holes, or random inclusions that result from manufacturing, such as bubbles, and those that result from adherent substances, such as rocks, chewing gum, papers, or twigs (National Research Council, 2009).
This paper will focus on the brief history, scientific methodologies, advances in technology, predictions of the importance to future police work along with the limitations that it may include when dealing with footprint analysis in forensic science.

Brief History
Forensic evidence consists of several different subfield and specialties, footwear analysis being one of these subfields and the focus of my paper. To examine the history of Footprint analysis, I will be citing two separate case studies as examples on how footprint analysis has affected the legal proceedings related to the case. Before that however, I would like to discuss the first recorded instance of using footprint evidence in legal proceedings.
In 1816, a young woman was found drowned in a shallow pool. Evidence for this crime...

... middle of paper ...

...lf as a major player in the forensics field. A huge limitation of using footprints and footwear as evidence is that shoe styles are constantly changing. Due to this constant flux in style and material in manufacturing, more effort on the part of manufacturers and suppliers should be made to keep databases up date.

Conclusion
This paper has focused on the brief history, scientific methodologies, advances in technology, predictions of the importance to future police work along with the limitations that it may include when dealing with footprint analysis in forensic science. I hope that I have shown how in controlled cases footwear analysis has had a huge role in the outcome of the cases cited. With that information on the impact, it is my hope that forensic footwear science will improve and position itself in its proper place in the sub fields of forensic science.

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