Latent Case Management

[Ann]

I have been asked to check and see if there are any companies that provide a non-vendor specific latent case management. Several of the AFIS Companies have a latent case management with their system but I am looking for a vendor neutral company that any AFIS can use. Can anyone help or suggest a company?
Thanks for your assistance!!!!

[Boyd Baumgartner]

There are a few main ones:


http://www.mideosystems.com/latentworks.htm

http://justicetrax.com/products-and-services/lims-plus/

http://www.forensicadvantage.com/

http://www.porterlee.com/lims.html


I just demo'd the Mideo product at the IAI in August and was quite impressed.

[Ann]

Thanks so much Boyd

[ER]

What do you mean by "any AFIS can use"?

I'm not sure that any of these systems can save your markup of minutiae so that it can be imported into AFIS.

[josher89]

I second Boyd. I demoed them in Phoenix in 2012 and I'm sure they've made some improvements since then. It's an (almost) all-in-one for latent print comparisons. It, like ER said, does not import AFIS markups, but will keep track of your own, your enhancements, and any other notes/reports you want it to.

[ER]

The true killer app for latents will be a program that can:
- efficiently take, scan, or import photos of ridge detail;
- natively manage NIST standard exemplar files;
- seamlessly integrate with the lab's LIMS including property, notes, reports, etc;
- seamlessly and remotely submit AFIS searches to the local, state, and all federal databases;
- receive candidates and review those searches from inside the app;
- manage images to record each view, open, adjustment, marking, enhancement, and print;
- export data including workload stats, point marking accuracy, court charts, demonstrative ppt's and other helpful or interesting data;
- allow for granular decision tracking for research purposes without impact on the examiners;
- incorporate ACE-V, including blind, non-blind, and/or multiple verification;
- automatically send comparisons with higher risk for error for blind and/or multiple verification;
- remotely utilize local, state, or federal AFIS systems to assist in generating match or non-match probabilities;
- fit the discipline intuitively;
- do a bunch of other stuff I'm not thinking about;
- and make coffee.

[Peter Griffin]

You should give the Virginia Department of Forensic Science a call and talk to one of the Latent Supervisors (they have 4 regional labs). As far as I know they have been using Mideo for latent work since around 2012-2013. They also use Forensic Advantage as their LIMS system.

http://www.dfs.virginia.gov/contact-us/

Additionally, you could check with the Idaho State Police (the Meridian Labs number is 208-884-7170) since I have heard they just went to a completely paperless LIMS system. They used Foray’s Digital Workplace for their latent images.
I believe Foray has added a latent casework workflow to their software, but I have only had experience with using it as a Digital Image Management System (which is great). You might want to give them a call.

The one reason I like Foray over Mideo was because Foray uses Photoshop and Mideo has built-In image markup software that is not nearly as robust as photoshop. It is (or at least was in 2012) a dumbed down program that had clunky, limiting controls.

Good luck,
PG