Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Fall Educational Conference might be canceled. The MNIAI Board of Directors will meet soon to discuss this possibility. If the conference is canceled, all registration fees will be refunded, including Sponsor/Vendor registrations.

Welcome to the MNIAI website!

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Chartered in 1964, the Minnesota Division of the International Association for Identification (MNIAI) holds an annual educational conference devoted to continuing education for the forensic sciences, crime scene investigation and identification fields. Typically held in the fall, the conference is two days long.

Justice Pays Scholarship Contest for 2020/2021

Whether it's legal oriented, or another field, Justice Pays believes in having a solid core education. The scholarship has a grand prize of $1,000 for the student that best showcases their interest in pursuing a degree. For more information, click here.

2020 Conference Registration is now open!
Get a jump on your training budgets and click HERE to register.

Countdown to Conference

2020 Conference location confirmed!

We are heading back to Duluth! The 2020 Fall Educational Conference will be held at the Inn on Lake Superior, 350 Canal Park Drive, Duluth, Minnesota 55802. Phone: 218-726-1111 or toll free at 888-668-4352. Reservations available starting August 10, 2020. Mention the MNIAI when reserving your room. Conference dates are September 9-11, 2020. Classes start at 12:00 PM on Wednesday and the conference concludes at 12:00 PM on Friday. Registration and check-in begins at 10:30 AM on Wednesday. POST and ABMDI continuing education credits offered.

Sleeping room rates vary and are as follows:
  • $164.00 Standard Pool Side
  • $164.00 Cityview
  • $174.00 Bridgeview
  • $184.00 Standard Lakeview
  • $194.00 Lakeview Suites
Rooms include:
  • Self Parking
  • Deluxe Continental Breakfast served 6:30 AM-10:00 AM
  • Nightly S’mores on Lakeside Patio
  • Wireless Internet Access
  • Soda and Water in Room on Arrival Date
  • Seasonal Bike Rental
  • All Rooms Include Refrigerator, Coffee Pot, Iron/Ironing Board, & Hairdryer.
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Check out their website by clicking here.
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MORE EXCITING CONFERENCE NEWS!!!

​Not only will we be headed back to Duluth in 2020, but the presentation on Friday will be on the Jayme Closs Investigation.

The presentation involves the October 15th, 2018 investigation of the abduction of Jayme Closs and the homicides of her parents. It will cover how local, state and federal agencies worked together and co-managed the investigation until Jayme’s heroic escape on January 10th, 2019. It also covers the successful prosecution of Jake Patterson and difficulties encountered during the process.

The presenters are the lead investigators from the Barron County, WI Sheriff’s Department, the WI DOJ - Division of Criminal Investigations, and the FBI.

Please note: This presentation is only for sworn and non-sworn employees of law enforcement organizations. If you are planning to attend the conference but do not work for a law enforcement agency, please contact President Nik Smith directly via email.
Additionally, we are offering courses on the following topics:
  • TBD possibly with Crime Lab Unit Manager Randy Hanson of the Minneapolis Police Department
  • Laser Light Photography with Detective Jeff Piper of the Anoka County Sheriff's Office
  • Forensic Video Examinations - The Past, the Present and a Peek at the Future with Forensic Video Analyst Kim Meline of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Minneapolis Division
  • Sauk Center Officer Involved Shooting with Special Agent Nick Riba of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, St. Cloud Office
  • Scene Photography with Drones with Officer Alec Elness of the St. Cloud Police Department
  • Case Histories of Blood Prints on Fabric with Forensic Scientist III/Technical Leader and MNIAI Division Representative Pat Warrick of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bemidji Regional Office
  • Night Photography Techniques (outdoors on Wednesday) with Retired Special Agent and MNIAI Editor Janet Nelson of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Bemidji Regional Office
  • Perrault Homicide Case Study with Crime Scene Investigator and MNIAI First Vice President Brad Litke of the Burnsville Police Department
  • ROFIN Alternative Light Source from Scene Search with Officer Dustin Anderson of the Minneapolis Police Department

​Attestor Forensics in Duluth!

The MNIAI Board of Directors welcomes Attestor Forensics as Sponsors at our 2020 Educational Conference. A Representative will have a table displaying many varieties of forensic products for conference attendees to see, touch and ask questions of. The support of our Sponsors is always welcome! If you would like to participate as a Sponsor/Vendor with a physical presence, please click here to go to our registration page. If you would like to support us with only a monetary sponsorship, please click here. Thank you!
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*Note: Forensics Source has withdrawn from participation in our conference.
                      We're on Facebook!
  • Click the Facebook icon found in the upper right corner of this page.
  • Log into Facebook. (The group name is Minnesota Division of the International Association for Identification).
  • Click the 'join' button. You'll be asked to answer two questions in order to join the group.​ ​
​                                        Check it out!

30-45 minute online study for Forensic Latent Print Examiners conducted by Florida International University.
               
​                   Click here for information.

DOJ Notice of Public Comment on
​Advancing Forensic Science.
Click here for information provided by the IAI.

Research Study Opportunity:
Error Rate Estimates for
Palm Impression Comparisons
For information click here.

Handwriting and Footwear Black Box Studies
​Volunteers Needed!
Click here for more information.

MNIAI Charter Member, past MNIAI President, Secretary/Treasurer and Historian
and past IAI President (1970-71)
John Douthit passed away on May 15, 2019; one month and a day after his 99th birthday.
John was the oldest living member of
both the MNIAI and the IAI.
Rest in Peace, John

MNIAI Online Store

MNIAI Challenge Coin
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News and info from the IAI

Begun in 1915, the International Association for Identification (IAI) is the oldest forensic science organization in the United States and one of the oldest in the world. The IAI is dedicated to the development of the forensic sciences and to the continued education and certification of practicing forensic scientists and crime scene investigators.

IAI Educational
​Conference News

2020 IAI Conference in Florida has been canceled.

​Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices Report to Congress

​The Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO) applauds the Department of Justice for the completion of the Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices Report to Congress. Over the past twenty years forensic science has evolved, becoming more reliable and discriminating. Its use to fight crime and exonerate those who are innocent has expanded tremendously. Forensic science is now so routinely used in the courtroom and expected by jurors that the nation’s front line forensic examiners struggle to keep up with the demand. The CFSO is pleased that Congress included their request for this needs assessment in the 2016 Justice for All Reauthorization Act to determine the true cost of providing valid and reliable forensic science testimony by scientists in public laboratories.

CFSO Chair Matthew Gamette stated, “As I remarked in testimony before Congress this year, we need the continued support of the federal government to fund efforts to increase forensic laboratory and medical examiner capacity, capability, and training. Forensic Science Service Providers have significantly decreased backlogs, addressed turnaround times, and advanced forensic science when the resources are available for them to do so. The needs assessment provides a remarkable opportunity for the federal government to make the investment necessary for forensic services in the United States to lead the world. Making this investment now will ensure that the needs of the criminal justice system are met, that the correct people are held responsible for their crimes, and that victims of crime are able to see justice in their cases."

The report concludes there is not sufficient funding to process increasing amounts of forensic evidence. It states that the counties, state, local and tribal crime laboratories and medical examiner/coroner offices have a $640 million deficit for normal operations, but the increase of opioid expenditures adds another $270 million to that cost.

The report spent the last two years meeting with key forensic science providers and stakeholders to determine the state of the community and what resources are needed to keep up with the growing demand for forensic examinations. Read report.

Forensic Research Committee Survey

The IAI is committed to promoting, encouraging, and maintaining the highest standards of practice in forensic science. This is accomplished, in part, by encouraging the adoption of standards and best practice recommendations endorsed by the Organization for Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC).

The IAI understands that implementation of new methods or protocols is often challenging and resource intensive. In an effort to support the forensic science community, the IAI and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) are interested in understanding key challenges and barriers to implementation and identifying potential solutions to increase the likelihood agencies/organizations can increase consistency and quality of forensic science practices. Further, the IAI is supporting the ASCLD with capturing baseline information related to the extent to which documents developed or approved by OSAC have been implemented or intend to be implemented into agency/organization standard operating procedures.

​To accomplish this, the ASCLD Forensic Research Committee and Standards & Accreditation Initiatives Committee have developed a web-based online survey. Among its benefits, the survey aims to provide baseline information and feedback about the extent documents included on the OSAC Registry have been implemented or are intended to be implemented into crime laboratory standard operating procedures, and to identify key challenges many laboratories face with implementation initiatives. Once this baseline is established, the ASCLD Standards & Accreditation Initiatives Committee will continue to evaluate the operational impact of proposed OSAC standards through Impact Surveys distributed to the ASCLD and IAI membership. These surveys provide a deeper understanding to issues surrounding implementation and will enable the ASCLD, OSAC, and IAI, to develop solutions to lower the barriers and promote greater consistency across the forensic science community.

The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is intended for forensic science professionals actively working in agencies/organizations providing forensic science services. The link to the survey is below and will close on March 31, 2020.
 
Take the Survey
Please click here to read an open
letter from the ​IAI regarding Certifications.