U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Statistical Evaluation of Randomly Acquired Characteristics on Outsoles with Implications Regarding Chance Co-Occurrence and Spatial Randomness
NCJ Number
              306217

Author(s)
          Nicole Richetelli
Date Published

2020
Length
              187 pages
Annotation
              This research sought to quantify the chance association of randomly acquired characteristics on outsole RACs on unrelated shoes and the spatial distribution of these features on outsoles, with the long-term goal of aiding weight of evidence assessments in forensic footwear examinations.
Abstract
              Footwear evidence holds tremendous forensic value, owing to its ability to formulate linkages between victims, suspects, and scenes. Naturally, the strength of these linkages is a function of the perceived clarity, quality and rarity of class, subclass and randomly acquired characteristics (RACs), which are the fundamental outsole features used to formulate source associations. To reach a conclusion when performing a footwear comparison, forensic examiners must assign value to the observed similarities and differences that exist between questioned crime scene and test impressions. Embedded within this process is an evaluation of the random association between unrelated shoes as a function of both class and acquired wear characteristics. To date, weight of evidence within this space has been largely informed by the training and subjective casework experience accumulated by an examiner over the life of his or her career. In pursuit of supporting the foundational validity of this comparison process, this research sought to quantify the chance association of RACs on unrelated shoes and the spatial distribution of these features on outsoles, with the long-term goal of aiding weight of evidence assessments in forensic footwear examinations.Using a large-scale database of 1,300 unrelated outsoles, the position and shape of 72,306 RACs was investigated. Features with consistent position and shape-classification were pairwise compared and sorted using a numerical estimate of similarity. Based on this assessment, more than 91,000 of the most quantitatively similar features were visually evaluated to model the relationship between numerical similarity and visual indistinguishability. Using this model, more than 1 million additional feature comparisons were evaluated to predict the potential for visual confusion. Subsequently, empirical, and modeled probabilities of indistinguishability were combined with the chance for positional overlap to yield location- and shape-specific estimates of chance association. The results indicated that RACs exhibit high discriminating potential. (Published abstract provided)
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2018-MU-MU-0003


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Thesis/Dissertation


  
  
        
  Award
        Poisson Processes and Randomly Acquired Characteristics:  Are Wear Features on Footwear Randomly Distributed?
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 2020
    
          Downloads
        
                      HTML

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
        Forensic sciences
        Forensic examiners
        Crime Scene
        Evidence analysis and processing



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Comparative Sensitivity and Inhibitor Tolerance of GlobalFiler PCR Amplification and Investigator 24plex QS Kits for Challenging Samples
                  Citrate Content of Bone as a Measure of Postmortem Interval: An External Validation Study
                  A Large-scale Dataset of Single and Mixed-source Short Tandem Repeat Profiles To Inform Human Identification Strategies: PROVEDIt
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov