Forensics: from craft to scientific knowledge

In an article published by the Dutch newspaper NRC Weekend it is reconfirmed how HSD founding partner the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), is going through a ground-breaking transformation. The article outlines how the Netherlands Forensic Institute is increasingly applying scientific methods to forensics and also how it is conducting scientific research to support its operations. So are employees of the NFI active as researchers at three universities (Leiden, Amsterdam and Nijmegen). One of the world's most renown forensics researchers, Keith Inman (California State University), talks about why the NFI is so special when it comes to scientific research on forensics: "Forensics experts in the US only conduct case studies, whereby the detectives have the lead. The NFI conducts fundamental research on scientific forensics. The NFI is one of the leading institutions when it comes to finding new methods and tools that can be applied to forensics." E.g. The institute is working together with partners on new innovative solutions such as a new handheld device for research on fingerprints, which will help reveal more facts about the criminal than just its identity.

The original article was published on the weekend edition (9/10 March 2013) of the NRC newspaper.