by Casey J. Bastian
In a first-of-its-kind study, renowned cognitive bias expert Itiel Dror and co-author Nina Surnde researched the reliability and biasability (the impact of contextual information) of digital forensics (“DF”) experts’ performance. The study is titled “A hierarchy of expert performance (HEP) applied to digital forensics: Reliability and ...
by Casey J. Bastian
In any emergency, Americans have been conditioned to call 911. Those three digits are typed into a phone by someone experiencing a critical situation around 240 million times per year. Despite its universal familiarity, the 911 system has existed for only 53 years. While we can ...
by Casey J. Bastian
When a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, videos of the callous act went viral. The event prompted a seemingly unprecedented wave of racial justice and anti-police protests that have continued since that day May 2020. Millions of protestors took to the streets. A great ...
by Casey J. Bastian
The desire to implement significant reforms in American policing, particularly in metropolitan areas, is not new. However, the specific demand to literally defund the police is a nascent concept. Contemporary reform advocates assert that the enormous funding provided to law enforcement agencies should instead be focused ...
by Casey J. Bastian
For many Black Americans, the thought of calling the police for help is not an option. Most won’t request assistance from law enforcement unless there is a truly violent crime occurring. Minor situations are frequently escalated and end with unnecessary police violence and brutality. Far too ...
by Casey Bastian
A recent cache of internal training documents from the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) was released pursuant to a Freedom of Information Law request by The Intercept. The documents pertain to training for “Civil Disorder Offenses,” with information drawn from the NYPD’s Police Students’ Guide, Patrol ...
by Casey J. Bastian
Aaron Scheerhoorn was stabbed to death outside a Houston bar in 2010. During the investigation, multiple witnesses told detectives an unknown Black man was the perpetrator. Detectives believed that man was Lydell Grant. Witnesses were asked to participate in a lineup. The lead detective administered the ...
Far too frequently, a criminal record is an obstacle to securing education, employment, housing, and other similar necessities. Approximately 1.6 million Virginia residents have a criminal record; a disproportionate number of them are Black. The House and Senate Chambers of the Virginia General Assembly have passed legislation that will facilitate ...
by Casey J. Bastian
Defunding the police is not a new concept. The idea has just been largely ignored by lawmakers until recently. Advocacy groups have flooded city council meetings for years while making similar demands. Activist have been pushing officials to cease expansion of police and jail budgets and ...
by Casey J. Bastian
In recent years, law enforcement has realized the enormous potential to solve crimes by using genetic genealogy databases. New laws in Maryland and Montana seek to reconcile the usefulness of genetic genealogy data and consumer privacy. Consumer companies like FamilyTree DNA, 23andMe, Ancestry, ...
