NIST OSAC

CSI Subcommittee Update

Michael P. Kessler, CSI Subcommittee Chair

Presented to Texas Division of the International Association for Identification (TDIAI)

13 June 2019

http://nist.gov/osac
2009 

National Academy of Science Report

Strengthening Forensic Science 

in the United States: A Path 

Forward
GOALS OF OSAC 

IN FORENSIC SCIENCE

»OSAC is a result of the 2009 NAS Report

»Joint project of DOJ and NIST to encourage 

consensus standards in forensic science

»Registry of Forensic Science Standards & 

Guidelines

»Identify research needs 
“To create a sustainable organizational infrastructure 

dedicated to identifying and fostering the development of 

technically sound, consensus-based documentary 

standards and guidelines for widespread adoption 

throughout the forensic science community.”
OSAC STRUCTURE

» Forensic Science Standards 

Board

» Resource Committees (3)

» Scientific Area Committees (5)

» Subcommittees (25)

» Task Groups
OSAC CORE PRINCIPLES

» Openness

» Balance

» Consensus 

» Harmonization
OSAC SNAPSHOT

February 2017

Makeup

565 Members

266 Affiliates

50 States represented

239 Task groups

2,470 Applications

http://nist.gov/forensics/osac/index.cfm
WHAT OSAC REALLY DOES

» Evaluates existing standards published by 

SDOs for placement on the OSAC Registry

AND

» Introduces draft documents into existing 

SDOs for formal development – drafts go 

through the SDO’s consensus process
OSAC REGISTRY PLACEMENT MEANS

OSAC Registry

Serves as a trusted 

repository of highquality, sciencebased standards 

and guidelines for 

forensic practice.

Criteria

Standards and 

guidelines must have 

been developed using a 

consensus-based

process and must pass 

OSAC review of 

technical merit by 

forensic practitioners, 

academic researchers, 

statisticians, and 

measurement scientists.

Endorsement

Elevating a standard 

to the official OSAC 

Registry is an 

endorsement of the 

high quality of the 

document and 

encourages its 

adoption by all 

relevant agencies 

and practitioners.
STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS REVIEW SOME CONCEPTS

ASB

American Academy of 

Forensic Sciences – AAFS 

Standards Board

ASTM 

International

American Section of the 

International Association 

for Testing and Materials

NFPA

National Fire Protection 

Association

ADA

American Dental 

Association

NIST

National Institute of 

Standards and Technology

ISO

International Organization 

for Standardization
OSAC HAS NO AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE STANDARDS

Endorse Standards

OSAC endorses 

standards and 

promotes their 

adoption by forensic 

science service 

providers and by 

accrediting bodies 

that audit 

participating 

agencies for 

compliance.

Fill the Gap

While accredited 

forensic service 

providers are 

currently audited to 

general laboratory 

standards, there are 

very few disciplinespecific standards 

that the laboratories 

can be audited 

against.

Facilitate 

Development

The ultimate goal of 

OSAC is to facilitate 

the development of 

science-based 

standards for each of 

25 distinct forensic 

science disciplines 

and to promote their 

widespread 

adoption.
OSAC STANDARDS: IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAYS

Self Adoption

Forensic Service providers 

incorporate OSAC 

standards in SOPs

Professional 

Associations

Issue policy statements 

encouraging adoption

Criminal Justice 

(Courts)

Attorneys begin demanding 

forensic practitioners use 

OSAC standards

Accrediting 

Bodies

ISO 17025/20 

supplemental standards or 

checklists

Funding 

Bodies

Offer funding incentive to 

implement standards

Funding 

Bodies

Require OSAC standards 

implementation to access 

funding
OSAC

NEWSLETTER

Released monthly and includes 

notification of public comment 

periods, R&D needs, OSAC 

vacancies, OSAC meetings, and 

feature articles.

Sign Up at

www.nist.gov/osac
OSAC 

ANNUAL REPORT

Summary of OSAC activities from 

February 2016 to February 2017 

including OSAC unit profiles.

Available at

https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/fil

es/documents/2018/01/11/osac_a

nnual_report_2017.pdf
\\\\\\\

»OSAC has created a lexicon of over 4,000 

terms organized by forensic discipline. New 

terms will be added, revised or removed, as 

sources are verified, and as new standards are 

published.

»https://lexicon.forensicosac.org/
Crime Scene/Death Investigation SAC

Consists of seven 

subcommittees.
CSI

SUBCOMMITTEE

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/crime-sceneinvestigation-subcommittee
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CSI

Subcommittee

17 Subject Matter Experts

» Crime Scene Investigators

» Crime Scene Reconstructionists

» Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners

» CSI/Trace Examiners

» Laboratory Managers

» Firearms Examiner

» Shooting Reconstructionists

» Academic Researchers

» Independent Practitioners

» R&D/Industry Representatives
CSI Subcommittee Officers

»Michael P. Kessler, Chair, NFSTC@FIU

»Charles S. DeFrance, Vice Chair, Federal Bureau of Investigation

»Kimberlee Sue Moran, Executive Secretary, Rutgers University
CSI Subcommittee Members

»Adam Becnel, Louisiana State Police

»Teresa Devitt-Lynch, Intrepid Forensics

»Karen Green, Green Forensics Inc.

»Michael Haag, Albuquerque Police Department Crime Laboratory

»Kevin Kosiorek, Boston Police Crime Laboratory Unit

»Guy Nutter, Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division

»Kevin Parmelee, Somerset County Prosector's Office (NJ)

»Christine Pinto, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

»Stephanie Regan, Kauai Police Department

»Ryan Rezzelle, Leica Geosystems

»Kim Shapiro, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office

»Joyce Williams, Stevenson University

»Troy E. Wilson, Texas Department of Public Safety

»Neil Zielinski, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
PRIORITIES

» Education, Credentials, Training

» Crime Scene Administration-report writing, evidence testing requests, data 

management

» Human Factors/Contextual Bias-detective vs crime scene investigator, 

hospital/nurse

» On Scene Activities-response, safety, documentation, evidence search, 

packaging/collection, final considerations

» Crime Scene Reconstruction

» Specialty Areas of Crime Scene Investigation
» Assessing the Culture of Contextual Bias in Forensic Scene Evidence 

Collection, Handling, and Processing

» Assessment of Level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Required at 

Crime Scenes

» Crime Scene Research: Creation of a Centralized Searchable Database

» Decontamination of Crime Scene Equipment

» Laboratory Techniques and Technologies at the Crime Scene

» Use of Technology for Crime Scene Documentation

⋄ https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/osac-research-development-needs

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 

NEEDS
STANDARDS IN DEVELOPMENT

» CSI Training and Education 

(Submitted to ASTM.)

» Task Groups

• General Evidence 

Collection and 

Preservation

• Biological Evidence

• Drug Evidence

• Weapons

• Crime Scene 

Reconstruction

• Shooting 

Reconstruction

• Sexual Assault 

Investigation
Standards in Development with 

Other Subcommittees

»Crime Scene 

Photography (VITAL)

»Footwear and Tire 

Impressions (5 already 

sent to SDO)
EXISTING ASTM STANDARDS SUBMITTED 

TO REGISTRY

» E620 – Standard Practice for Reporting Opinions of Scientific or Technical 

Experts

» E678 – Standard Practice for Evaluation of Scientific or Technical Data

» E860 – Standard Practice for Examining And Preparing Items That Are Or 

May Become Involved In Criminal or Civil Litigation

» E1020 – Standard Practice for Reporting Incidents that May Involve 

Criminal or Civil Litigation

» E1492 – Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, Storing, and 

Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science Laboratory
EXISTING ASTM STANDARDS UNDER CONSIDERATION

continued

» E1188 – Standard Practice for Collection and Preservation 

of Information and Physical Items by a Technical 

Investigator

» E1492 – Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, 

Storing, and Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science 

Laboratory

» E1459 – Standard Guide for Physical Evidence Labeling 

and Related Documentation
“Laboratory accreditation and individual certification of forensic 

science professionals should be mandatory, and all forensic 

science professionals should have access to a certification 

process.”
Standards Sent to SDO

»Standard Practice for Crime Scene Investigator 

Training, Continuing Education, Professional 

Development, Certification, and Accreditation

• Current posted on OSAC website as a draft.

• Submitted to ASTM 
Highlights from CSI Training and Education 

Standard

»Crime Scene Investigator - a forensic science 

practitioner whose responsibility is to use the 

appropriate combination of knowledge, skills, and 

experience to undertake one or more of the 

following tasks in relation to a crime scene 

investigation: documentation, search for or identify 

evidence, evidence collection, and preservation of 

evidence. OSAC Lexicon
Education Requirements

»Associates degree with at least 8 hr of science.

»Strongly recommends a bachelor of science.

»Current experience can be substituted for the 

formal education requirement.
Continuing Education Requirements

»Responsibility of parent agency

»Minimum of 48 hr over a 2-year period.

»Continuing education must be structured, 

measurable, and documented.
Certification/Accreditation 

»“All crime scene units shall either have all crime 

scene investigation personnel certified or the 

crime scene unit shall be accredited. Ideally, all 

personnel will be certified and the crime scene 

unit will be accredited.”
ASTM E2917
Accessing 

Published 

Standards

»ASB - public access

»ASTM - free access 

via OSAC.
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STAY 

INFORMED

https://www.nist.gov/topics/foren

sic-science
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here

TO APPLY

www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-

science/osac-application
THANKS!

Any questions?

You can find me at Web addresses » mkessler@fiu.edu

To apply

» www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/osac-application

Research & Development Needs

» https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/osac-researchdevelopment-needs 

Stay informed

» https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science