The Scientific Working Group on Bloodstain
Pattern Analysis (SWGSTAIN) was created in
March 2002 at a meeting held by the FBI Laboratory
at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
It was decided that there was enough interest
in bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) to warrant
the creation of the Scientific Working Group
(SWG).
According to the guidelines for organizing
a SWG, the Scientific Working Group on Bloodstain
Pattern Analysis (SWGSTAIN) generated and
ratified a set of bylaws in accordance to
the Scientific Working Groups published in
Forensic Science Communications (July 2002).
SWGSTAIN has nationally and internationally
recognized bloodstain pattern analysts, several
of whom are members of the International Association
of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts (IABPA).
The experts come from various areas including
law enforcement, federal, state and local
laboratories, the private sector, and academia.
They also come from various countries including
United States, Canada, England, and the Netherlands.
In 2004, the various sub-committees were discussing
and drafting proposals in the following areas:
Terminology
Quality Assurance
Legal
Ethics
Education and TrainingSWGSTAIN meets twice
a year at the FBI Academy in Quantico.
They have an American Society of Crime Laboratory
Directors (ASCLD) representative.
== Mission statement ==
To Promote and enhance the development of
quality forensic bloodstain pattern (BSP)
practices through the collaborative efforts
of government forensic laboratories, law enforcement,
private industry, and academia.
== Objectives ==
To discuss, share and compare stain pattern
analysis methods, protocols, and research
for the enhancement of forensic bloodstain
pattern analysis (BPA) techniques, and
To design and encourage the implementation
by practitioners of a quality assurance program
in bloodstain pattern analysis and to advise
the forensic bloodstain pattern analysis community
of emerging quality assurance issues, and
To discuss and share strategies for presenting
bloodstain pattern information to meet Frye,
Daubert, or other jurisdictional admissibility
challenges, and
To address the development and/or validation
of forensic bloodstain pattern analysis methods,
and
To design and encourage the adoption of guidelines
to ensure the quality of specialized training
in the field of bloodstain pattern analysis.
== Executive board ==
The SWGSTAIN Executive Board consists of eight
members:
Chair
Vice-Chair (must be a non-FBI SWGSTAIN member,
appointed by the Chair)
Executive Secretary (appointed by the Chair,
no voting privileges)
Five Regular Members
