NCJ Number
218771
Date Published
July 2002
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This report presents the bylaws of the Scientific Working Group on Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (SWGSTAIN).
Abstract
The objectives of SWGSTAIN, membership consideration, officers and duties, meeting schedule, subcommittees, process for approval of guidelines or recommendations, and process to amend the bylaws are presented. The main objective of SWGSTAIN is to form a professional forum for bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) practitioners and practitioners from related fields. This group can share, discuss, and evaluate methods, techniques, protocols, quality assurance, education, and research relating to BPA. Membership is to include a maximum of 50 members and will consist of both an executive board and a body of regular members. The duties of SWGSTAIN officers are enumerated, particularly in relation to the duties of the executive board, the Chair and Vice-Chair, and the Executive Secretary. SWGSTAIN will meet at least once but no more than twice per calendar year. These meetings are dependent on available Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) resources. The SWGSTAIN Chair may appoint a SWGSTAIN subcommittee to address a specific topic or set of issues identified as central to the discipline of BPA. The process for approval of guidelines and recommendations is provided and calls for a draft document or work product to be produced for review by SWGSTAIN members. An acceptance vote of three to four of the full SWGSTAIN membership is required in order to forward the draft document to the executive board for action. An approved draft will then be offered for public comment according to the FBI SWG policy. Proposed amendments to the SWGSTAIN bylaws are also made by appealing to the SWGSTAIN executive board.