Welcome to the Missouri Division of IAI

The Missouri Division of the International Association for Identification is non-profit organization actively engaged in the profession of identification and scientific crime detection. We invite members of law enforcement, forensic scientists, crime scene technicians, evidence technicians, and latent print examiners who are interested in the scientific investigation of crime to apply for membership and attend our annual educational conference. See our membership page for more information. Check out the training page for more about training and conferences.

From the President

As President of the Missouri Division of the International Association for Identification, I welcome you to our official Website. Here you will find information about joining our membership as well as an invitation to attend our annual educational conference which is held every year in October.

I began my forensic career as an Evidence Technician in 1977 with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Evidence collecting techniques and forensic examination methods definitely were much less complex back then. There were no lasers, alternate light sources or luminal to worry about. Latent fingerprints developed at crime scenes were searched by hand using methods that were cumbersome and yielded limited results. There were no bureaucratic documentation requirements from laboratory certification programs and I never heard of cyanoacrylate, DFO, or physical developer. Any mention of DNA and AFIS would have drawn a blank stare of cluelessness.

Today’s forensic professionals face significantly greater challenges and pressures than I ever experienced back then. In the past several decades, available methods of collection and testing of crime scene evidence have increased exponentially. We now have more tools and abilities than ever. This is the good news. But, with the good come difficult new challenges in the forensic community. High expectations of positive results from crime scene examinations are now the norm. Discovery and development of forensic tools such as DNA profiling and AFIS are exciting advances which have produced many more meaningful results, but also have prompted fictional representations of their capabilities by hit television shows such as CSI. Jurors, lawyers and the public now frequently expect more from this technology than is possible. Evidence submissions have skyrocketed resulting in large backlogs at most forensic labs. Laboratory certification programs, while increasing credibility, have added considerable administrative requirements significantly increasing time necessary for examiners to work up cases. Finally, lack of adequate funding greatly hinders abilities and resources of the forensic community to address these challenges.

The Missouri Division of the I.A.I. provides a loud, clear voice from our members by investigating and communicating these challenges and concerns through our parent IAI organization. We also strive to continue providing quality, affordable forensic training for our members and guests. That tradition will continue at our next educational conference October 8-9, 2010 in Lake Ozark, Missouri. I look forward to seeing you there!

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our organization.

Sincerely,
Gregory L. Owens
President
Missouri Division
International Association for Identification

If you would like to advertise with the Missouri Division of the IAI, please contact the Editor for more information. We reserve the right to refuse advertising space to persons and/or organizations that we feel do not promote the science of identification, to be determined by the Board of Directors.