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Papers by Rachel Bolton-King
Recovery of corroded and damaged firearms can pose a problem to a range of professionals includin... more Recovery of corroded and damaged firearms can pose a problem to a range of professionals including law enforcement, border control, firearms examiners and archaeologists. Depending on the nature of damage and extent of corrosion the firearms can be completely seized and potentially unidentifiable using traditional visual examination alone. This difficulty impacts upon the ability to undertake legal classification and ensure safe recovery and transportation of the artefacts. This paper details the use of rapid, non-destructive x-ray systems for the internal examination of a range of corroded weapons. Research has shown that weapons can be identified using visual comparison of firearm’s internal components and can determine whether fired or live ammunition is still housed inside. Such methods of examination could also be applied to the identification of ammunition, converted and concealed weapons as well as illustrate the potential for intelligence gathering at border control points t...
The Forensic Science Society, as the professional body for forensic practitioners, has developed ... more The Forensic Science Society, as the professional body for forensic practitioners, has developed a model to endorse individual competence in a number of forensic disciplines; this is known as a Certificate of Professional Competence. This article discusses research undertaken in the UK on behalf of The Forensic Science Society, which aims to determine the need to extend Certificates of Competence into areas of firearms-related forensic disciplines. An extensive questionnaire was disseminated to practitioners and professionals working in the forensic firearms community to ascertain their opinions relating to personal competency testing, factors influencing completion of such testing and identification of areas in which Certificates of Competence could be developed in the future. Respondents within the firearms community typically support The Forensic Science Society developing these certificates for a range of professionals including firearms examiners, technicians, GSR analysts, arm...
Practical veterinary forensics
Forensic Science International: Synergy
Science & justice, Feb 24, 2021
Science & Justice, 2022
An overview of the collaborative international research I undertake with forensic practitioners a... more An overview of the collaborative international research I undertake with forensic practitioners and the professional development opportunities available for forensic science practitioners.
Over recent years there has been a growing need for individual examiners to regularly demonstrate... more Over recent years there has been a growing need for individual examiners to regularly demonstrate their professional competence in thee courtroom. Such assessments are currently offered in a range of tasks associated with the role of the forensic firearms examiner, including comparison macroscopy. However, testing has yet to be developed to cover firearms identification using 3D imaging, which is now being considered as admissible evidence in court. This workshop will discuss the importance of competence testing and explain the recommended assessment design to simulate practice in casework. The scope of use for TRAX-3D in laboratory protocols will be shared and the impact of operator variability using BULLETTRAX demonstrated. The outcome of the workshop will evaluate the need to monitor individual’s competence when incorporating 3D imaging technologies and determine whether an appropriate assessment should be developed.
European Journal of Archaeology
Currently, mark-making practices as a form of identification and proof of life are an unrealized ... more Currently, mark-making practices as a form of identification and proof of life are an unrealized resource. Over a three-year period, systematic walkover surveys were conducted on and within fortifications and other structures on the island of Alderney to locate historic and modern marks. The investigations presented in this article demonstrate the importance of non-invasive recording and examination of marks to identify evidence connected to forced and slave labourers, and soldiers present on the island of Alderney during the German occupation in World War II. Names, hand and footwear impressions, slogans, artworks, dates, and counting mechanisms were recorded electronically and investigated by using international databases, archives, and translation services. We discuss the value and challenges of interpreting traces of human life in the contexts of conflict archaeology and missing person investigations and underline the need for greater recognition of marks as evidence of past lives.
Forensic Science International
Science & justice : journal of the Forensic Science Society, 2018
Science & Justice, 2015
The role of a firearm examiner is wide ranging, involving tasks that require scientific understan... more The role of a firearm examiner is wide ranging, involving tasks that require scientific understanding in aspects of 19 chemistry, physics and biology. This article aims to provide a critical review of the key scientific principles and 20 practices specifically involved with forensic firearm identification and to discuss how misidentifications have re-21 sulted in cases of injustice. Implementation of quality assured examination practice, demonstration of individual 22 examiner competence and more objective methods of reporting are being adopted by firearm examiners and lab-23 oratories to address some of the criticisms relating to subjectivity and standardisation inherent within the disci-24 pline. The impact of these changes is outlined and further recommendations are made for both examiners and 25 legal professionals to minimise the potential for future injustices involving firearms evidence. Latest research 26 in the field is cited, continuing to support the theory and use of firearm identification as admissible evidence 27 in court.
This paper details a comparative pilot study of 3D (three dimensional) imaging technologies for p... more This paper details a comparative pilot study of 3D (three dimensional) imaging technologies for potential application in forensic firearms and toolmark identification; as such it reviews the most up-to-date profiling systems. In particular, the paper focuses on the application of 3D imaging and recording technology as applied to firearm identification, being a specialised field within the discipline of toolmark identification.
Forensic Science International, 2012
This paper demonstrates a numerical pattern recognition method applied to curvilinear image struc... more This paper demonstrates a numerical pattern recognition method applied to curvilinear image structures. These structures are extracted from physical cross-sections of cast internal pistol barrel surfaces. Variations in structure arise from gun design and manufacturing method providing a basis for discrimination and identification. Binarised curvilinear land transition images are processed with fast Fourier transform on which principal component analysis is performed. One-way analysis of variance (95% confidence interval) concludes significant differentiation between 11 barrel manufacturers when calculating weighted Euclidean distance between any trio of land transitions and an average land transition for each barrel in the database. The proposed methodology is therefore a promising novel approach for the classification and identification of firearms.
Forensic Science International: Synergy
Books by Rachel Bolton-King
Firearms: Global Perspectives on Consequences, Crime and Control, 2021
Recovery of corroded and damaged firearms can pose a problem to a range of professionals includin... more Recovery of corroded and damaged firearms can pose a problem to a range of professionals including law enforcement, border control, firearms examiners and archaeologists. Depending on the nature of damage and extent of corrosion the firearms can be completely seized and potentially unidentifiable using traditional visual examination alone. This difficulty impacts upon the ability to undertake legal classification and ensure safe recovery and transportation of the artefacts. This paper details the use of rapid, non-destructive x-ray systems for the internal examination of a range of corroded weapons. Research has shown that weapons can be identified using visual comparison of firearm’s internal components and can determine whether fired or live ammunition is still housed inside. Such methods of examination could also be applied to the identification of ammunition, converted and concealed weapons as well as illustrate the potential for intelligence gathering at border control points t...
The Forensic Science Society, as the professional body for forensic practitioners, has developed ... more The Forensic Science Society, as the professional body for forensic practitioners, has developed a model to endorse individual competence in a number of forensic disciplines; this is known as a Certificate of Professional Competence. This article discusses research undertaken in the UK on behalf of The Forensic Science Society, which aims to determine the need to extend Certificates of Competence into areas of firearms-related forensic disciplines. An extensive questionnaire was disseminated to practitioners and professionals working in the forensic firearms community to ascertain their opinions relating to personal competency testing, factors influencing completion of such testing and identification of areas in which Certificates of Competence could be developed in the future. Respondents within the firearms community typically support The Forensic Science Society developing these certificates for a range of professionals including firearms examiners, technicians, GSR analysts, arm...
Practical veterinary forensics
Forensic Science International: Synergy
Science & justice, Feb 24, 2021
Science & Justice, 2022
An overview of the collaborative international research I undertake with forensic practitioners a... more An overview of the collaborative international research I undertake with forensic practitioners and the professional development opportunities available for forensic science practitioners.
Over recent years there has been a growing need for individual examiners to regularly demonstrate... more Over recent years there has been a growing need for individual examiners to regularly demonstrate their professional competence in thee courtroom. Such assessments are currently offered in a range of tasks associated with the role of the forensic firearms examiner, including comparison macroscopy. However, testing has yet to be developed to cover firearms identification using 3D imaging, which is now being considered as admissible evidence in court. This workshop will discuss the importance of competence testing and explain the recommended assessment design to simulate practice in casework. The scope of use for TRAX-3D in laboratory protocols will be shared and the impact of operator variability using BULLETTRAX demonstrated. The outcome of the workshop will evaluate the need to monitor individual’s competence when incorporating 3D imaging technologies and determine whether an appropriate assessment should be developed.
European Journal of Archaeology
Currently, mark-making practices as a form of identification and proof of life are an unrealized ... more Currently, mark-making practices as a form of identification and proof of life are an unrealized resource. Over a three-year period, systematic walkover surveys were conducted on and within fortifications and other structures on the island of Alderney to locate historic and modern marks. The investigations presented in this article demonstrate the importance of non-invasive recording and examination of marks to identify evidence connected to forced and slave labourers, and soldiers present on the island of Alderney during the German occupation in World War II. Names, hand and footwear impressions, slogans, artworks, dates, and counting mechanisms were recorded electronically and investigated by using international databases, archives, and translation services. We discuss the value and challenges of interpreting traces of human life in the contexts of conflict archaeology and missing person investigations and underline the need for greater recognition of marks as evidence of past lives.
Forensic Science International
Science & justice : journal of the Forensic Science Society, 2018
Science & Justice, 2015
The role of a firearm examiner is wide ranging, involving tasks that require scientific understan... more The role of a firearm examiner is wide ranging, involving tasks that require scientific understanding in aspects of 19 chemistry, physics and biology. This article aims to provide a critical review of the key scientific principles and 20 practices specifically involved with forensic firearm identification and to discuss how misidentifications have re-21 sulted in cases of injustice. Implementation of quality assured examination practice, demonstration of individual 22 examiner competence and more objective methods of reporting are being adopted by firearm examiners and lab-23 oratories to address some of the criticisms relating to subjectivity and standardisation inherent within the disci-24 pline. The impact of these changes is outlined and further recommendations are made for both examiners and 25 legal professionals to minimise the potential for future injustices involving firearms evidence. Latest research 26 in the field is cited, continuing to support the theory and use of firearm identification as admissible evidence 27 in court.
This paper details a comparative pilot study of 3D (three dimensional) imaging technologies for p... more This paper details a comparative pilot study of 3D (three dimensional) imaging technologies for potential application in forensic firearms and toolmark identification; as such it reviews the most up-to-date profiling systems. In particular, the paper focuses on the application of 3D imaging and recording technology as applied to firearm identification, being a specialised field within the discipline of toolmark identification.
Forensic Science International, 2012
This paper demonstrates a numerical pattern recognition method applied to curvilinear image struc... more This paper demonstrates a numerical pattern recognition method applied to curvilinear image structures. These structures are extracted from physical cross-sections of cast internal pistol barrel surfaces. Variations in structure arise from gun design and manufacturing method providing a basis for discrimination and identification. Binarised curvilinear land transition images are processed with fast Fourier transform on which principal component analysis is performed. One-way analysis of variance (95% confidence interval) concludes significant differentiation between 11 barrel manufacturers when calculating weighted Euclidean distance between any trio of land transitions and an average land transition for each barrel in the database. The proposed methodology is therefore a promising novel approach for the classification and identification of firearms.
Forensic Science International: Synergy
Firearms: Global Perspectives on Consequences, Crime and Control, 2021