...A new fingerprint on the forensic science map
Vigilance can For the first time ever, a fair solely dedicated to the forensics industry is taking place in Europe. CrimeLab 2012, the 1st International Forensic Technology Fair, will become a venue for business meetings, sharing information and experiences, improving qualifications and sifting through the most up-to-date offers involving equipment, tools and apparatus used to investigate a crime scene, documenting, securing and presenting evidence, as well as many other elements used by forensics labs daily. The first edition of the fair will be held under the Honorary Patronage of the Minister of Justice Jarosław Gowin and the Ministry of Interior. The Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police – Research Institute is CrimeLab's Specialist Patron.
Standardization in forensic science is the theme of the fair’s first edition. The fair’s programme includes events promoting scientific achievements and presentations of modern technology and investigative methods used by forensic scientists. Manufacturers and distributors of forensic technology products and services will have an opportunity to reach a group of carefully selected customers.
To date they have been able to present their offers at the EuroLab International Trade Fair of Analytical, Measurement and Control Technology, which has been running for the past 14 years. However, in response to the increasing interest in events dedicated to forensic experts, the fair’s organisers decided to establish CrimeLab as an event of its own, aimed solely at this sector. This year both events, CrimeLab and EuroLab, will be held simultaneously.
“I am confident that establishing the CrimeLab fair as an independent event will make it significantly easier for the exhibitors to reach potential customers, and the visitors will have an opportunity to familiarise themselves at leisure with the wide range of products used in forensics labs. In favourable conditions such as these, the chances of initiating fruitful business relationships are higher” – says Piotr Skoneczka, the architect and manager of the CrimeLab fair project.
Young forensic scientists in action
By creating an exhibition dedicated to the forensics industry, the CrimeLab fair organisers have made sure that the subject related events’ programme is broad and exhaustive. Thanks to cooperation with national institutions, universities and distinguished experts, a variety of interesting conferences and seminars on the most important issues concerning the investigative process with the use of modern research methods await visitors.
The First Student Conference on Applied Criminology: “Criminal Warsaw" organised by TEMIDIA Criminal Law Students Club in cooperation with Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police, will take place on day one. Visitors will be able to participate in a criminal proceedings simulation.
The best young forensic scientists, under the watchful eyes of experts from the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police will conduct a staged investigation. The students will have to inspect a crime scene, interview witnesses, secure forensic evidence and propose a forensic scenario indicating the perpetrator. The participants will also be able to request forensic opinions from specialists in different fields. Finally, the collected evidence will be verified by a court process.
In the evening, once the official conference comes to an end, there will be an opportunity to take a stroll amongst the streets of the capital. Professional guides will take participants on a journey around the murkiest nooks of old Warsaw, including the sites of famous crimes and executions, squares and markets where petty crime flourished, as well as the secret hideouts of the capital’s underworld.
Cutting edge tools in the hands of law enforcement
Numerous other lectures are planned for the first day of the CrimeLab fair, including three interesting meetings with experts. In the morning, a seminar organised by the Forensic Laboratory of the Polish Border Guard entitled “Verifying the authenticity of travel documents at Border Guard Posts using technological means available as part of the first line of control” will be held. The speakers will focus on the process of border checks and the activities performed by officers at particular stages. Border Guard experts will talk about the structure and safeguards built into travel documents which allow for the speedy and accurate evaluation of their authenticity.
The programme also includes a conference entitled “Forensic science in the service of judicial and law enforcement authorities”, during the course of which experts from the Prof. Dr. Jan Sehn Institute of Forensic Research in Kraków will discuss issues associated with identifying the perpetrators of crime based on biological traces, including DNA fragments, information contained in human bones, as well as those associated with firearms, poisons and internet crime.
The first day will conclude with a lecture by Sławomir Śnieżko, Director of the Cabinet of the Head of CACB entitled “New directions for the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau within the scope of prevention and fighting corruption”. During this presentation, participants will become familiar with the Bureau's achievements to date, as well as the new, currently employed anti-corruption initiatives.
New trends
There will be numerous subject-related events on the second day of the fair, among which will be the international “Biometrics in Law and Forensic Science” conference, which aims to establish an interdisciplinary framework for cooperation and exchange of experiences within the scope of forensic and legal use of biometric tools and their standardization. This meeting will continue on the third day of the CrimeLab fair.
The meeting will be organised by: the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police – Research Institute and the Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Warsaw in cooperation with the University of Warsaw Faculty of Law and Administration Alumni Association and MT Targi. It will take place within the scope of the Standards in Forensic Science International Forum under the honorary auspices of the Mayor of the City of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Rector Magnificus of the University of Warsaw Prof. Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow.
This meeting requires a separate booking to be made.
Fair trivia
A mobile, fully equipped forensic laboratory will be present at the fair. As the vital apparatus and equipment can be placed on a HGV trailer, it is possible to conduct a professional investigation in difficult field conditions, without the constant need to engage a distant stationary laboratory.
The HGV, which contains a secret laboratory, awaits visitors inside the exhibition hall.