Priority Action Report

Footwear and Tire

Physics/Pattern SAC

G. Matt Johnson, Chair

February 23, 2016
Subcommittee Leadership

Position Name Organization Term Email

Chair Matt 

Johnson

Orange County 

(California) Sheriff’s

Department

2 gmj@occl.ocgov.com

Vice 

Chair

Rodney 

Schenck

U.S. Department of 

Defense, Defense 

Forensic Science 

Center

4 rodney.a.schenck2.civ@mail.

mil

Executive 

Secretary

Mike Gorn Sarasota County 

(Florida) Sheriff's 

Office

4 mgorn@scgov.net

2
Subcommittee Members

# Name Organization Term Email

1 Sarah E. Bohne Colorado Springs Police Department 4 bohnesa@ci.colospgs.co.us

2 Aurora Dumitra New York City Police Department 

Police Laboratory

2 aurora.dumitra@yahoo.com

3 Ron Mueller Charlotte County Sheriff's Office 3 Ronald.Mueller@ccso.org

4 Michael Gorn Sarasota County (Florida) Sheriff's 

Office

4 mgorn@scgov.net

5 Stephen Greene U.S. Customs and Border Protection 2 stephen.d.greene@icloud.com

6 Christopher Hamburg Oregon State Police 3 chris.hamburg@state.or.us

7 Amanda Hanshaw Lane Virginia Department of Forensic 

Service

4 amanda.lane@dfs.virginia.gov

8 Gerhard Dean Hauptmann Baltimore County (Maryland) Police 

Department Forensic Services 

Section

2 ghauptmann@baltimorecountymd.com

9 Dwane Hilderbrand Self Employed, Forensic ITC Services 3 dwane@forensicitc.com

10 Cindy Homer Maine State Police Crime 

Laboratory

4 cindy.homer@gmail.com

3
Subcommittee Members

# Name Organization Term Email

11 Alan Kainuma Honolulu (Hawaii) Police 

Department

3 akainuma@honolulu.gov

12 David Kanaris Alaska Scientific Crime Detection 

Laboratory

4 david.kanaris@alaska.gov

13 Matt Johnson Orange County (California)

Sheriff’s Department

2 gmj@occl.ocgov.com

14 Jan LeMay Northern Colorado Regional 

Forensic Laboratory

2 jlemay@weldgov.com

15 Brian McVicker U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation 3 brian.mcvicker@ic.fbi.gov

16 Rodney Schenck U.S. Department of Defense, 

Defense Forensic Science Center

4 rodney.a.schenck2.civ@mail.

mil

17 Jacqueline Speir, Ph.D. West Virginia University 2 jacqueline.speir@mail.wvu.edu

18 Christine Snyder, Ph.D. Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff's 

Office

3 csnyder@seminolesheriff.org

19 Steven Lund, Ph.D. NIST 2 steven.lund@nist.gov

20 Melissa Valadez Texas Department of Public Safety 

Crime Laboratory

3 melissa.valadez@dps.texas.gov

4
Subcommittee Affiliate Members

# Name Organization Term Email

1 Lesley Hammer Hammer Forensics, Alaska N/A hammer.lesley@gmail.com

2 Brian Yamashita, Ph.D. Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 

Canada

N/A brian.yamashita@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

5
Discipline Description

Footwear and Tire: 

Detection, documentation, recovery, 

examination and comparison of footwear 

and tire evidence.

6
Summary of Standards/Guidelines 

Priority Actions

Priority Working Title of Document

High Footwear/Tires Test Impression Guide

High Research needs for footwear and tire track evidence

High Terminology and Training/Competency documents developed from the SWGTREAD 

standards

High Source identification conclusion scale and what documents to create or modify for 

standards or guidelines

Low Revise the remaining SWGTREAD documents to conform with OSAC SDO requirements

7
Topic 1: Footwear/Tires Test 

Impression Guide

Priority Level: High

• A guideline for examiners in the creation and collection of test 

impressions made from footwear and tires for comparison 

purposes.

Task Group Name: Footwear & Tire 

Examination/Comparison Methods

Task Group Chair Name: Sarah Bohne

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

mailto:sarahebohne@gmail.com

8
Standards/Guidelines to Move 

Forward

Title Organization Suggested OSAC Process:

(Registry, SDO, Canvass)

Footwear/Tires Test Impression Guide AAFS SDO

Topic 1: Footwear/Tires Test Impression Guide

9
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

High Create KAVI project

Address final comments from 

FW/TT Subcommittee

Final Subcommittee vote

Seek SAC approval for SDO 

process

April 1, 2016 Sarah Bohne

Topic 1: Footwear/Tires Test Impression Guide

10
Topic 2: Footwear and Tire 

Comparison Conclusions

Priority Level: High

• Action pending finalization of Physics/Pattern SAC harmonized 

source conclusion scale

Task Group Name: Footwear & Tire 

Examination/Comparison Methods

Task Group Chair Name: Sarah Bohne

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

sarahebohne@gmail.com

11
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

High Create FW/TT conclusion scale? TBD Sarah Bohne

Create FW/TT report 

writing/Testimony Guide?

TBD Sarah Bohne

Topic 2: Footwear and Tire Comparison Conclusions

12
Topic 3: Research Needs

Priority Level: High

• Production of Research Needs documents for OSAC

Task Group Name: Footwear & Tire Research/Technology

Task Group Chair Name: Jacqueline Speir, Ph.D

Task Group Chair Contact Information:mailto: 

Jacqueline.Speir@mail.wvu.edu

13
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

High PCAST Response Completed Jacqueline Speir, 

Ph.D

High Submit 5 OSAC Research Needs 

Assessment forms for SAC 

approval

April 1, 2016 Jacqueline Speir, 

Ph.D

Topic 3: Research Needs

14
Topic 4: Terminology

Priority Level: Medium

• A FW/TT Terminology document is pending Physics/Pattern SAC 

Terminology Task Group action

• The harmonized source identification conclusion scale and 

pending FW/TT report writing/testimony documents may delay 

submission to SDO

Task Group Name: Footwear & Tire Terminology

Task Group Chair Name: Jan LeMay

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

jlemay@weldgov.com

15
Standards/Guidelines to Move 

Forward

Title Organization Suggested OSAC Process:

(Registry, SDO, Canvass)

Footwear/Tire Terminology Guide AAFS SDO

Topic 4: Terminology

16
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

Medium Continue to review/revise 

terminology document

TBD Jan LeMay

Adjust and refine terms based

on pending conclusion/report 

writing/testimony documents

TBD

Submit for SDO process TBD

Topic 4: Terminology

17
Topic 5: Training/Competency

Priority Level: High

• Produce a standard for training footwear and tire comparison 

examiners

• Collaborate with IAI on the updating of the Recommended 

Course of Study for Footwear/Tire Track Examiners training 

manual in an effort to harmonize an OSAC FW/TT training 

standard with the IAI training manual

Task Group Name: Training and Competency

Task Group Chair Name: David Kanaris

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

david.kanaris@alaska.gov

18
Standards/Guidelines to Move 

Forward

Title Organization Suggested OSAC Process:

(Registry, SDO, Canvass)

Footwear and Tire Examiner Scope of Work, Minimum 

Requirements, and Training Standard (title ?)

AAFS SDO

Topic 5: Training/Competency

19
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

Medium Collaborate with IAI on RCOS 

and create training standard 

accordingly

TBD David Kanaris/Lesley 

Hammer

Topic 5: Training/Competency

20
Topic 6: Footwear & Tire 

Processing/Enhancement Methods

Priority Level: Medium

• Documents having to do with the processing and enhancement of 

evidence impressions at crime scenes or on evidence in a 

laboratory environment

Task Group Name: Footwear & Tire 

Processing/Enhancement Methods

Task Group Chair Name: Michael Gorn

Task Group Chair Contact Information: mgorn@scgov.net

21
Standards/Guidelines to Move 

Forward

Title Organization Suggested OSAC Process:

(Registry, SDO, Canvass)

Footwear and Tire Impression Chemical Enhancement 

Guide

AAFS SDO

Topic 6: Footwear & Tire Processing/Enhancement Methods

22
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

Medium Poling of examiners use of 

various chemicals for 

enhancement purposes

April 1, 2016 Michael Gorn

Develop draft for SC input July 1, 2016 Michael Gorn

Topic 6: Footwear & Tire Processing/Enhancement Methods

23
Topic 7: Footwear & Tire 

Detection/Collection Methods

Priority Level: Medium

• Several guideline documents to be developed including 

photography, casting, and lifting of impression evidence

Task Group Name: Footwear & Tire Detection/Collection 

Methods

Task Group Chair Name: Alan Kainuma

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

akainuma@honolulu.gov

24
Standards/Guidelines to Move 

Forward

Title Organization Suggested OSAC Process:

(Registry, SDO, Canvass)

Guide for Casting Footwear and Tire Impression 

Evidence

AAFS SDO

Guide for Lifting Footwear and Tire Impression 

Evidence

AAFS SDO

Guide for the Forensic Documentation and 

Photography of Footwear and Tire Impressions at the 

Crime Scene

AAFS SDO

Topic 7: Footwear & Tire Detection/Collection Methods

25
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

Medium Develop drafts for SC approval 

and submission to SDO

July 1,2016 Alan Kainuma

Topic 7: Footwear & Tire Detection/Collection Methods

26
Topic 8: Resources

Priority Level: High

• Develop document management workflows and identify features 

within KAVI to enable effective subcommittee and task group 

collaboration

Task Group Name: Resources 

Task Group Chair Name: Brian McVicker

Task Group Chair Contact Information: 

brian.mcvicker@ic.fbi.gov

27
Committee Action Plan

Priority 

(high/med/

low/)

Planned Actions Approx. 

Deadline Assignee

High Create “projects” in KAVI for all 

documents and TG assignments

April 1, 2016 Brian McVicker

Topic 8: Resources

28
Research Gaps Identified 

• 1. Examiner reliability- black box/white box studies for 

footwear and tires

• 2. Development of a national footwear/tire reference 

collections

• 3. Studies on the frequency of class characteristics such 

as outsole design pattern and size of footwear

• 4. Laser scanning of 3D (footwear/tire) impressions to 

include necessary resolution, depth of field, focus and 

printing of images into a hard copy format for comparison 

(includes comparative studies to existing techniques)

• 5. Probability of randomly acquired characteristics in 

footwear

29
Additional Items of Interest

• Created a task group for NIST research on footwear/tire 

evidence to communicate research between subcommittee and 

NIST 

• Considering whether we are going to come out with a report 

writing/testimony document to compliment the conclusions 

scale document

• Project to carry over material on SWGTREAD website to an 

OSAC webpage

• Project to develop standards for printing/imaging/scanning 

relevant to FW/TT evidence

• Populating AAFS canvassing body for FW/TT documents

30
Summary

Rank Topic Area

1 SDO process

2 Conclusions and related 

documents to move forward

3 Research needs

4 Populating the Registry with 

comprehensive discipline topics

• Sending our first documents 

through the new AAFS SDO 

process

• Conclusion consensus amongst 

disciplines

• Research needs-National 

Footwear Database

• Populating the Registry

31
Priority Action Report

Footwear and Tire

Physics/Pattern SAC

G. Matt Johnson, Chair

February 23, 2016
33