Welcome to the MNIAI website!

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.

2023 Educational Conference News!
​Save the dates!

LOCATION: The Inn on Lake Superior, 350 Canal Park Drive, Duluth, MN 55802
PHONE: (218) 726-1111 - tell them you are with the MNIAI conference when you                   reserve your sleeping room
DATES: October 4-6
HOTEL SLEEPING ROOMS - SPECIAL MNIAI RATES:
2 Queens Pool-view: $174.99 + tax
2 Queens/Sofa Sleeper Cityview: $181.99 + tax
2 Queens/Sofa Sleeper Bridgeview Balcony: $187.99 + tax
King/Sofa Sleeper Bridgeview Balcony: $187.99 + tax
2 Queens Lakeview: $195.99 + tax
King/Sofa Sleeper Lakeview: $195.99 + tax
2 Queens/Sofa Sleeper Lakeview: $199.99 + tax

Registration for the conference will be made available soon! Check back often for that information.

​Course offerings will be made available once President Richsmann provides the agenda.

Anoka County Hosts a Crime Scene Reconstruction Course

Please view the training flyer for Investigative Analysis & Crime Scene Reconstruction, hosted at the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office on February 6-10, 2023.  If you or anyone from your agency is interested in attending, please register with this link from TriTech Forensics.
2022 Educational Conference Photos!
Photos compliments of Janet Nelson. All rights reserved.

And now...a word from one of our Sponsors

                      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!

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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MNIAI Coin

News and Info From the IAI

IAI Forms the Division Interaction and
​Affairs Committee

​My dear friends and fellow members of the Minnesota Division of the IAI,

The IAI has decided to make the “Division Affairs Committee” a permanent standing committee, per the By-laws:
 
Section 8.20 Division Interaction & Affairs Committee.
(a.) Purpose. This committee shall advise the President on the support of and advocacy with the
divisions.
 
(b.) Composition. The committee shall consist of an odd number of members with a minimum of three
(3) to a maximum of seven (7) members. The Chairperson shall be the Division Representative. All other
members shall be appointed by the President by October 1 after assuming office. The term of
appointment for the appointed members shall last until September 30.
(c.) Voting. All the members of the committee, to include the Chairperson, shall have the right to vote at committee meetings.
(d.) Other duties. The Committee shall perform such other duties as the President shall prescribe.
  
2022-2023 Appointed members
Kelly Ayers, WV, USA - Chair                 
Larry Stringham, FL, USA      
Mike Wisniewski, OH, USA
Jason Cole, VA, USA
Brian Dew, NC, USA
Penny Dechant, AZ, USA
Kasey Gizler, PA, USA

 It is my pleasure to have the Minnesota Division to be one of my appointed Divisions to provide outreach too as a member of this committee.
 
As you can see, the Division Representative (Kelly Ayers) has been assigned as the chairperson for this committee and appreciates your communication with her to include completing the yearly survey of your Division operations, as it is shared with the IAI Board of Directors and Officers at the yearly IAI conference.  As the chairperson, Kelly is always happy to provide any communications between the IAI and your Division. Also, as your assigned committee member, I hope to add a more personal touch providing you with any assistance and being an advocate for your concerns to the IAI parent body. Please feel free to reach out to either of us at any time to assist the Minnesota Division in any way we can.                       
 
So what’s new?
With the success of the Inaugural 5k Race/ Fun Run in Omaha, we were able to make a little bit of money to give back to the Divisions.  While my initial intention was to assist some Divisions in having a representative attend the IAI Annual Conference, it was thought these funds could better assist the Divisions as their needs dictate. It maybe a few hundred dollars to bring in a special speaker to your conference, or maybe cover a loss due to unforeseen circumstances like COVID, Hurricanes or other natural disasters.  Using these funds as more of a pool of money that Divisions can request  similar to a Grant process to further your Division in whatever your needs. The process to get these funds is still TBD but we are hoping to have guidance before the new calendar year.
 
We are currently working with the Chesapeake Bay Division to plan another 5k Fundraiser at next year’s conference In National Harbor.  With a more extensive planning timeframe, we are hoping to get more sponsorships and awareness.  We still attempt to keep the costs down for participants and want to make sure our liabilities and required cost don’t outweigh the benefits, so this event is still tentative.
 
At the same time we are attempting to be creative and come up with other fundraising ideas such as “dunk your favorite/or not so favorite, IAI personality” in a dunk tank at the conference.  Your input is important to us and we appreciate any constructive feedback or ideas.
 
So what’s been done?
Beyond monetary support, we are still interested in your concerns and ways to improve the IAI/ Division relationship.  In the past year we have also taken the feedback from so many of the Divisions by adding links to how a Division can apply to host the International conference on the conference website, https://www.theiai.org/conference.php
If a Division wants to consider hosting an IAI conference in the future… https://www.theiai.org/docs/Annual_IAI_International_Educational_ConferenceR.pdf
 
In addition, the IAI Conference Planner, Candy Murray has offered her services to assist any divisions by reviewing any hotel/conference center contracts and provide guidance back to your division.  She can be reached at: iaiconferenceplanner@theiai.org. The IAI Educational planner Heather Connor is also available to provide suggestions for your speaker program: iaiedplanner@theiai.org
 
Hopefully the fact that this Special Subcommittee has become a Standing Committee is also a demonstration of the IAIs dedication to improving your Division.
 
I look forward to continuing assisting your Division in the coming year.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out with and questions, concerns or comments.  I will always do whatever I can to assist your Division.
 
All the best,
Jason Cole

Report on ABIS Interoperability

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.

​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.
Please click here to read an open
letter from the ​IAI regarding Certifications.