Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Criminal databases'

This research examines the effects of forensic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence on decisions in the courts and on the conduct of criminal investigations. To assess effects on court decisions, quantitative analyses were conducted using primary data from the State of Queensland. A control-comparison method was used to assess the effects in court, and this was made within a context of other evidentiary and extra-legal factors that had a bearing on case outcomes. These other factors included defendant confessions, independent witness testimony and fingerprint and photographic evidence. A sample of 750 cases referred by police for prosecution and finalised past the appeal stage in court, was selected for examination. Half of these cases utilised DNA evidence, while the other half, as a control group, did not. Cases were selected in four categories: sexual offences, serious assaults, homicides and property crime. Data on the cases were analysed using advanced statistical methods and predictor models were developed to demonstrate how, given case configurations, the addition of DNA evidence could potentially alter court outcomes. Results for the three serious offence types were that DNA evidence emerged as a positive predictor that prosecutors would pursue cases in court, and it demonstrated a powerful influence on jury decisions to convict. Incriminating DNA evidence demonstrated no significant effect on inducing guilty pleas from defendants for serious crimes against the person. However, it did correlate significantly to cases reaching court and to guilty pleas being entered for property offence cases. The analysis of the effects on investigations relies on data from jurisdictions other than Queensland. Secondary data and the literature were used to assess the potential for strategically using forensic intelligence, along with dedicated investigative resources, to reduce property crimes like burglaries and car thefts. In the one study available that employed adequate research methods, three patrol areas in New South Wales, where a police operation was trialled, were compared to other areas that acted as a control. The police operation aimed at 100% attendance at property crime scenes, the use of intelligence from DNA and fingerprint identifications and specialised investigative resources to reduce crime levels. While the operation failed to achieve its goal, it did provide some valuable lessons. The effectiveness of the national criminal DNA database in the UK, reputed to lead the world, was then evaluated in relation to domestic burglaries. Its Australian CrimTrac counterpart did not commence operations until March 2003, and by 2004 was not operating at maximum capacity. Because no published studies were located that measured any effects of the UK database on crime levels, the criterion selected to measure performance was the proportion of convictions achieved through the database to reported crime. For domestic burglaries, this ratio was calculated from secondary official data to be close to one percent (0.01), a figure that included the additional convictions achieved through the intelligence that the database provided. The research also examined forensic DNA in relation to issues of privacy and civil liberties. Privacy issues are discussed beginning with an historical background to the use and misuse of genetic data. This includes the searches for a 'criminal gene' and for genetic links to criminal behaviour. DNA databases are contrasted with databanks, and it is questioned, since we leave our DNA wherever we go, whether it really is private. Civil liberties issues that are discussed include whether providing DNA is a form of self-incrimination; how DNA has helped exonerate the convicted innocent; wrongful convictions based on flawed DNA evidence; whether occasional 'mass screenings' with DNA are a reversal of the onus of proof; concerns with DNA databases and 'function creep', and the planting or 'forgery' of DNA evidence including the use of amplicon contamination. In the final chapter, a balance is sought between on one hand, the goal of police and government to provide a safe society, and on the other, the rights to privacy and civil liberties expected by individuals in Western liberal democracies. The chapter addresses the issues of concern raised in the earlier chapter about privacy and civil liberties, and makes recommendations on how these may be resolved. The general approach favoured is to increase police powers in specific situations, but to couple these with the protection of individual rights through greater regulation of those powers. The research also developed a case prioritising system aimed at helping clear laboratory backlogs.

This research examines the effects of forensic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence on decisions in the courts and on the conduct of criminal investigations. To assess effects on court decisions, quantitative analyses were conducted using primary data from the State of Queensland. A control-comparison method was used to assess the effects in court, and this was made within a context of other evidentiary and extra-legal factors that had a bearing on case outcomes. These other factors included defendant confessions, independent witness testimony and fingerprint and photographic evidence. A sample of 750 cases referred by police for prosecution and finalised past the appeal stage in court, was selected for examination. Half of these cases utilised DNA evidence, while the other half, as a control group, did not. Cases were selected in four categories: sexual offences, serious assaults, homicides and property crime. Data on the cases were analysed using advanced statistical methods and predictor models were developed to demonstrate how, given case configurations, the addition of DNA evidence could potentially alter court outcomes. Results for the three serious offence types were that DNA evidence emerged as a positive predictor that prosecutors would pursue cases in court, and it demonstrated a powerful influence on jury decisions to convict. Incriminating DNA evidence demonstrated no significant effect on inducing guilty pleas from defendants for serious crimes against the person. However, it did correlate significantly to cases reaching court and to guilty pleas being entered for property offence cases. The analysis of the effects on investigations relies on data from jurisdictions other than Queensland. Secondary data and the literature were used to assess the potential for strategically using forensic intelligence, along with dedicated investigative resources, to reduce property crimes like burglaries and car thefts. In the one study available that employed adequate research methods, three patrol areas in New South Wales, where a police operation was trialled, were compared to other areas that acted as a control. The police operation aimed at 100% attendance at property crime scenes, the use of intelligence from DNA and fingerprint identifications and specialised investigative resources to reduce crime levels. While the operation failed to achieve its goal, it did provide some valuable lessons. The effectiveness of the national criminal DNA database in the UK, reputed to lead the world, was then evaluated in relation to domestic burglaries. Its Australian CrimTrac counterpart did not commence operations until March 2003, and by 2004 was not operating at maximum capacity. Because no published studies were located that measured any effects of the UK database on crime levels, the criterion selected to measure performance was the proportion of convictions achieved through the database to reported crime. For domestic burglaries, this ratio was calculated from secondary official data to be close to one percent (0.01), a figure that included the additional convictions achieved through the intelligence that the database provided. The research also examined forensic DNA in relation to issues of privacy and civil liberties. Privacy issues are discussed beginning with an historical background to the use and misuse of genetic data. This includes the searches for a 'criminal gene' and for genetic links to criminal behaviour. DNA databases are contrasted with databanks, and it is questioned, since we leave our DNA wherever we go, whether it really is private. Civil liberties issues that are discussed include whether providing DNA is a form of self-incrimination; how DNA has helped exonerate the convicted innocent; wrongful convictions based on flawed DNA evidence; whether occasional 'mass screenings' with DNA are a reversal of the onus of proof; concerns with DNA databases and 'function creep', and the planting or 'forgery' of DNA evidence including the use of amplicon contamination. In the final chapter, a balance is sought between on one hand, the goal of police and government to provide a safe society, and on the other, the rights to privacy and civil liberties expected by individuals in Western liberal democracies. The chapter addresses the issues of concern raised in the earlier chapter about privacy and civil liberties, and makes recommendations on how these may be resolved. The general approach favoured is to increase police powers in specific situations, but to couple these with the protection of individual rights through greater regulation of those powers. The research also developed a case prioritising system aimed at helping clear laboratory backlogs.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Full Text

Forensic DNA databases are expanding in both use and range. In particular, the U.K. and U.S. are developing new techniques and policies in regards to their forensic DNA databases with the hope of increasing the role of forensic DNA databases in criminal investigations. Despite the goal of reducing crime, there are ethical concerns that arise with the ways in which these forensic DNA databases are being developed. This paper outlines the technical aspects of forensic DNA databases and then describes different conceptions of identity, using race as an example of a constructed identity that is relevant in the use of forensic DNA databases. Then it explains how forensic DNA databases construct a unique identity with the goal of ascribing this to people and groups. This ascribed identity is problematic, and different problems that are related to identity are discussed. Despite the benefits of forensic DNA databases, these problems are ethically relevant and as such, a series of policy recommendations are made with the aim of balancing the harms and benefits of forensic DNA databases.

Cybercriminal activity may be a relatively new concern to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), but it has the potential to create financial and liability issues for SME organizations. The problem is that SMEs are a future growth target for cybercrime activity as larger corporations begin to address security issues to reduce cybercriminal risks and vulnerabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore a small business owner's knowledge about to the principal elements of decision making for SME investment into cybersecurity education for employees with respect to internet access and employee vulnerabilities. The theoretical framework consisted of the psychological studies by Bandura and Jaishankar that might affect individual decision making in terms of employee risks created through internet use. This qualitative case study involved a participant interview and workplace observations to solicit a small rural business owner's knowledge of cybercriminal exploitation of employees through internet activities such as social media and the potential exploitation of workers by social engineers. Word frequency analysis of the collected data concluded that SME owners are ill equipped to combat employee exploitation of their business through social engineering. Qualitative research is consistent with understanding the decision factors for cost, technical support, and security threat prevention SME organizational leadership use and is the focus of this study as emergent themes. The expectation is that this study will aid in the prevention of social engineering tactics against SME employees and provide a platform for future research for SMEs and cybercriminal activity prevention.

Spatial databases store geometric objects and capture spatial relationships that can be used to represent key features of the human face. One can search spatial databases for these objects, and seek the relationships between them, using fuzzy logic to provide a natural way to describe the human face for the purposes of facial characterization. This study focuses on community perception of short, average, or long nose length. Three algorithms were used to update community opinion of nose length. All three methods showed similar trends in nose length classification which could indicate that the effort to extract spatial data from images to classify nose length is not as crucial as previously thought since community consensus will ultimately give similar results. However, additional testing with larger groups is needed to further validate any conclusion that spatial data can be eliminated.

A digitalização das empresas e dos serviços tem potenciado o tratamento e análise de um crescente volume de dados provenientes de fontes heterogeneas, com desafios emergentes, nomeadamente ao nível da representação do conhecimento. Também os Órgãos de Polícia Criminal (OPC) enfrentam o mesmo desafio, tendo em conta o volume de dados não estruturados, provenientes de relatórios policiais, sendo analisados manualmente pelo investigadores criminais, consumindo tempo e recursos. Assim, a necessidade de extrair e representar os dados não estruturados existentes em documentos relacionados com o crime, de uma forma automática, permitindo a redução da análise manual efetuada pelos investigadores criminais. Apresenta-se como um desafio para a ciência dos computadores, dando a possibilidade de propor uma alternativa computacional que permita extrair e representar os dados, adaptando ou propondo métodos computacionais novos. Actualmente existem vários métodos computacionais aplicados ao domínio criminal, nomeadamente a identificação e classificação de entidades nomeadas, por exemplo narcóticos, ou a extracção de relações entre entidades relevantes para a investigação criminal. Estes métodos são maioritariamente aplicadas à lingua inglesa, e em Portugal não há muita atenção à investigação nesta área, inviabilizando a sua aplicação no contexto da investigação criminal. Esta tese propõe uma solução integrada para a representação dos dados não estruturados existentes em documentos, usando um conjunto de métodos computacionais: Preprocessamento de Documentos, que agrupa uma tarefa de Extracção, Transformação e Carregamento adaptado aos documentos relacionados com o crime, seguido por um pipeline de Processamento de Linguagem Natural aplicado à lingua portuguesa, para uma análise sintática e semântica dos dados textuais; Método de Extracção de Informação 5W1H que agrupa métodos de Reconhecimento de Entidades Nomeadas, a detecção da função semântica e a extracção de termos criminais; Preenchimento da Base de Dados de Grafos e Enriquecimento, permitindo a representação dos dados obtidos numa base de dados de grafos Neo4j. Globalmente a solução integrada apresenta resultados promissores, cujos resultados foram validados usando protótipos desemvolvidos para o efeito. Demonstrou-se ainda a viabilidade da extracção dos dados não estruturados, a sua interpretação sintática e semântica, bem como a representação na base de dados de grafos; Abstract: The digitalization of companies processes has enhanced the treatment and analysis of a growing volume of data from heterogeneous sources, with emerging challenges, namely those related to knowledge representation. The Criminal Police has similar challenges, considering the amount of unstructured data from police reports manually analyzed by criminal investigators, with the corresponding time and resources. There is a need to automatically extract and represent the unstructured data existing in criminal-related documents and reduce the manual analysis by criminal investigators. Computer science faces a challenge to apply emergent computational models that can be an alternative to extract and represent the data using new or existing methods. A broad set of computational methods have been applied to the criminal domain, such as the identification and classification named-entities (NEs) or extraction of relations between the entities that are relevant for the criminal investigation, like narcotics. However, these methods have mainly been used in the English language. In Portugal, the research on this domain, applying computational methods, lacks related works, making its application in criminal investigation unfeasible. This thesis proposes an integrated solution for the representation of unstructured data retrieved from documents, using a set of computational methods, such as Preprocessing Criminal-Related Documents module. This module is supported by Extraction, Transformation, and Loading tasks. Followed by a Natural Language Processing pipeline applied to the Portuguese language, for syntactic and semantic analysis of textual data. Next, the 5W1H Information Extraction Method combines the Named-Entity Recognition, Semantic Role Labelling, and Criminal Terms Extraction tasks. Finally, the Graph Database Population and Enrichment allows us the representation of data retrieved into a Neo4j graph database. Globally, the framework presents promising results that were validated using prototypes developed for this purpose. In addition, the feasibility of extracting unstructured data, its syntactic and semantic interpretation, and the graph database representation has also been demonstrated.

Em 2012, o Brasil aprovou a lei 12.654 que regulamenta o uso dos bancos de perfis genéticos para fins de investigação criminal. Esta lei é um dos marcos nas discussões acerca do uso do DNA nas investigações criminais que se intensificaram no país a partir de 2009 quando o FBI doou ao Brasil o Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). A chegada dos bancos de dados de DNA ao Brasil faz parte de um processo de expansão internacional de bancos nacionais de perfis genéticos. Esta tese trata do processo de introdução desta tecnologia no Brasil. Através de entrevistas com especialistas de diferentes áreas, tais como perícia criminal, direito e bioética, da observação e participação em seminários e congressos de perícia criminal e das discussões travadas em publicações de revistas científicas esta pesquisa busca uma compreensão etnográfica dos nexos entre ciência, direito, tecnologia, segurança e poder em torno do processo de introdução dos bancos de perfis genéticos no Brasil. Na primeira parte, a tese descreve algumas relações e significados que fizeram a identificação genética vir a ser sinônimo de precisão científica acerca da identificação humana e o deslizamento para sua aplicação nas investigações criminais. Na segunda parte, aborda os primeiros efeitos do processo de introdução da tecnologia de bancos de perfis genéticos no Brasil a partir do processo de elaboração da lei dos bancos de DNA, da emergência de novas trajetórias de peritos criminais em genética forense e de alguns desafios do cotidiano da coleta, análise e armazenamento dos vestígios da cena do crime. Conhecer e entender como são colocadas em prática as diversas mediações que envolvem a estabilização do banco de DNA para fins de investigação criminal no Brasil permite refletir como a relação entre tecnociência, direitos, cidadania e políticas de segurança implicam em opções técnicas, éticas e políticas.
In 2012, Brazil approved the Federal Law 12.654, which regulates the use of genetic profiles for criminal investigations. Such law is one of the main landmarks in discussions concerning the use of DNA in criminal investigations that have intensified across the country since 2009, when the FBI donated to Brazil the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The arrival of these databases in Brazil is part of an international expansion process of national genetic profiles databases. This dissertation is about the introduction process of such biotechnology in Brazil. Through interviews with specialists from different areas, such as forensic sciences, law and bioethics, from observation and participation in forensics seminars and congresses and from discussions set in scientific publications this research aims for an ethnographic understanding of the nexus between science, law, technology, security and power around the introductory process of the genetic profile databases in Brazil. In its first part, the dissertation describes some relations and meanings that made genetic identification become a synonym of scientific precision concerning human identification and the transition for its application in criminal investigation. In its second part, it approaches the first effects of the introductory process of the technology in Brazil through the DNA database’s law elaboration process, from the emergency of new trajectories of genetic forensic experts and from a few challenges of the daily collection, analysis and storage of evidences of the crime scene. To know and to understand the mediations involved in the stabilization of the DNA databases for criminal investigation allow us to reflect on how the relation between technoscience, law, citizenship and safety politics affects and engenders technical options, ethics and policies.

IT experts often struggle to find strategies to secure data on the cloud. Although current security standards might provide cloud compliance, they fail to offer guarantees of security assurance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the strategies used by IT security managers to host sensitive information in the commercial cloud. The study's population consisted of information security managers from a government agency in the eastern region of the United States. The routine active theory, developed by Cohen and Felson, was used as the conceptual framework for the study. The data collection process included IT security manager interviews (n = 7), organizational documents and procedures (n = 14), and direct observation of a training meeting (n = 35). Data collection from organizational data and observational data were summarized. Coding from the interviews and member checking were triangulated with organizational documents and observational data/field notes to produce major and minor themes. Through methodological triangulation, 5 major themes emerged from the data analysis: avoiding social engineering vulnerabilities, avoiding weak encryption, maintaining customer trust, training to create a cloud security culture, and developing sufficient policies. The findings of this study may benefit information security managers by enhancing their information security practices to better protect their organization's information that is stored in the commercial cloud. Improved information security practices may contribute to social change by providing by proving customers a lesser amount of risk of having their identity or data stolen from internal and external thieves

Public safety is negatively affected when arrest warrant information is not available to law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, and other criminal justice practitioners. The U.S. Government and the criminal justice community have advocated for electronic warrant systems (e-warrants). Peace officers know that when e-warrant systems deliver warrant information to them immediately from multiple jurisdictions, their safety is increased. However, the factors that cause these e-warrants systems to improve safety are not known. The purpose of this historical data analysis study was to determine if the use of e-warrant systems resulted in shorter clearance times than the use of legacy paper-based systems. Stakeholder theory, open systems theory, and service-oriented architecture theory were used to guide the quantitative research design. This study compared 2 years of historical arrest warrants from 6 sheriffs' departments organized into population matched sets. Two-way ANOVA tests and nonparametric tests were conducted to analyze the impact of the independent variables warrant system type and case type on the dependent variables mean service days and percent warrants served. The study showed that operating e-warrant systems in similar size sample agencies did not ensure shorter mean service days and higher percent warrants served over legacy systems, and it confirmed that more research is needed to determine other factors that will lead to an improvement in these variables. The findings of this study may assist agency executives and justice practitioners to identify other variables that may increase effectiveness of e-warrant systems, thereby improving public and officer safety, both important social benefits.

Abstract

Every new scientific or technological development is often met with reactions, some positive and some negative .Same is true for the advent of any new technological innovations that could be a replacement or new applications of an older one. The advent of DNA Database and the move for its continuous expansion attracts not only Champions but Critics as well .Although the Forensic application of the currently developing DNA profiling for criminals’ identification (DNA Data base), has been accepted as a worthy technological advancement in crime detection, there has not been a unanimous acceptance on its possible expansion to include the entire population (National DNA Database) .The controversy is partly because of the social values which the NDNAD seems to undermine and partly because the NDNAD ,is never a ‘child of legislation’ , in that there is no specific ‘National DNA database Act’ which established the database, and defined what details may be stored in it or how it may be used. Instead, the database was created as a result of The Criminal Justice and Police Order Act 1994, which, though amendment of the Police and Criminal evidence Act 1984 established the condition would allow the database to be created .

It is a debate basically on public utility vs private goods. Though the controversy rages, the insistence on NDNAD establishment is solidly backed up by the expectation that the endeavour will give a wealth of information that will be very vital to the society for criminals’ detections and social control. This work based on the communitarian usefulness of the programme, demonstrates that the wealth of social benefits accompanying the NDNAD programme, outweighs the hypothetical fears of having the programme initiated. I argued for the priority of the common well being over the individual good.

This research examined opinions of local law enforcement agencies’ patrol officers in the State of Georgia regarding preparedness and expectations for handling of digital evidence. The increased criminal use of technology requires that patrol officers be prepared to handle digital evidence in many different situations. The researcher’s goal was to gain insight into how patrol officers view their preparedness to handle digital evidence as well as their opinions on management expectations regarding patrol officers’ abilities to handle digital evidence. The research focused on identifying whether a gap existed between patrol officers’ opinions of digital evidence and the patrol officers’ views on what management expectations are for patrol officers handling digital evidence. Using a Web-based survey, the researcher collected data from 144 departments, 407 individual patrol officers in four strata across the State of Georgia. The analysis of the data found that most patrol officers handle digital evidence in at least some situations. The patrol officers’ opinions stated that most understood management expectations for handling of digital evidence and felt those expectations were realistic based on the officers’ current knowledge and training; therefore no significant gap was found. The patrol officers state that they need additional training in order to stay up to date with the current and future needs for handling existing and new technology.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2006.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 316 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 315-316).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2005
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 128 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-128).

Pesquisa que analisa questões técnicas, éticas e jurídicas relacionadas com o uso informatizado de dados genéticos na persecução criminal que suscitam a elaboração de regulamentações técnicas legais para o desejável equilíbrio entre garantias e direitos individuais e os de interesse coletivo relacionados com segurança pública. A automatização de dados de caráter pessoal tem trazido preocupações aos governantes de diversos países, levando-os a adotar medidas legais sobre o tema. Os avanços da genética e da informática possibilitaram a criação de bancos de dados de DNA voltados à identificação criminal que, por serem eficazes no combate à criminalidade, tornaram-se aspiração para muitos Estados, como é o caso brasileiro. Sem que se olvidem ou que se exaltem as potenciais benesses sociais, na criação de bancos de dados de DNA devem ser valorados outros aspectos que também permeiam a questão e que podem ferir suscetibilidades, direitos e garantias individuais. Dentre estes se destacam os de vieses técnicos e éticos concernentes à possibilidade de uso indevido de informações genômicas contidas na molécula de DNA, além dos aspectos jurídicos relacionados com garantias e direitos individuais e coletivos. A presente investigação estuda elementos técnicos relacionados com a análise de polimorfismos do DNA que autorizam seu uso como método de identificação humana, amplamente empregado na atualidade pela Medicina Legal e pela Criminalística para determinação de parentesco biológico e elucidação de crimes. São analisadas características estruturais e funcionais de bancos de dados genéticos e as principais questões técnicas, éticas e legais relacionadas com a coleta de materiais biológicos, com os cuidados de preservação e garantia de autenticidade, com a qualidade dos serviços laboratoriais usados para obtenção de perfis genéticos e com o valor probante da prova pericial formada. É avaliada a importância dos bancos de dados criminais de DNA para a investigação policial e para a persecução judicial, sopesando-se os interesses da segurança pública e os de preservação da privacidade dos sujeitos afetados. São também comparativamente examinados os principais dos bancos de dados de identificação genética criminal já em funcionamento no mundo e suas características atinentes aos sujeitos e tipos de delitos que neles são incluídos; o tempo de permanência dos dados; seu gerenciamento e o armazenamento de vestígios e de amostras-referência. São ainda apontados os parâmetros técnicos e legais mínimos a serem considerados para a criação e o estabelecimento de um banco de dados desse gênero. É estudada pormenorizadamente a proposta feita pela SENASP/MJ para a implantação de um banco nacional de perfis de DNA criminal no Brasil, aos moldes do consagrado CODIS norte-americano. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que, ao se considerar que os direitos e garantias individuais não têm caráter absoluto frente a interesses públicos legítimos, a criação de um banco de dados criminais de DNA no Brasil é viável através da edição de uma lei estabelecedora dos limites das medidas restritivas das prerrogativas individuais e que regule minuciosamente seu funcionamento.
Research that analyses juridical, ethical and technical questions related to the digital use of genetic data at criminal prosecutions that engender the elaboration of legal and technical regulation to the desirable balance among individual rights and guarantees and those of collective interests related to public security. Personal data automation has brought concerns to several countries governments, leading them to adopt legal measures about the theme. Enhancements at genetics and information technology areas had made possible the creation of DNA databases related to criminal identification that, due to their efficacy at criminal combat, have become an aspiration to many States, such as Brazil. Without neither forgetting nor magnifying its potential social benefits, at DNAs database creation other aspects, that are also involved and that could hurt individual susceptibilities, rights and guarantees, should be valued. Among these, it should be emphasized those of technical and ethical concerns related to the improper use of DNAs genomic information, besides juridical aspects related to individual and collective rights and guarantees. The present investigation studies technical elements related to DNA polymorphisms analysis that allow its use as an Human Identification Method, largely employed nowadays at Criminalistics and Forensic Medicine to determine biological kinships and crime scene elucidations. We analyze genetic databases functional and structural characteristics, and the main legal, ethical and technical questions related to biological samples collection, to their preservation and authenticity guarantee, to the involved laboratories quality, and to the probative value of the formed forensic proof. Its also evaluated DNA criminal databases importance to police investigation and judicial prosecution, considering both the public security interest and the privacy preservation of the affected individuals. The main genetic identification databases already working around the world are also comparatively analyzed, as well as their characteristics, such as: what kinds of individuals and faults are included at database; for how long this data stays at the bank; how it is managed and how the storage of evidences and reference samples is done. We also point the minimum legal and technical parameters that should be considered to the creation and establishment of such a database. Its studied in details the SENASP/MJ proposal to implement a national bank of criminal DNA profiles in Brazil, similar to the American CODIS. The results of our study suggest that, considering that individual rights and guarantees dont have absolute character front legitimate public interests, the creation of a criminal DNA database in Brazil is practicable through the edition of some law that would establish the limits to individual prerogatives and also minutely regulate its operation.

碩士
中央警察大學
資訊管理研究所
90
Abstract While businesses have been using data mining to pursue everlasting prosperity, we seldom consider this technique in public affairs. The government holds a large quantity of data that are records of official operations or private data of the people. Some of these data can be used on behalf of the people or to enhance the efficiency of governmental operations. Data mining is one of the emerging techniques to manipulate huge amount of data. In this thesis we will apply to this technique to the data of stolen vehicles that are voluminous and of great interest of the people. We will explore the unknown knowledge hidden in the data and provide this knowledge to transportation, insurance as well as police agencies for decision supports. The data we use are abstracted from 3 million records of stolen vehicles in the past eleven years in Taiwan. After constructing a data warehouse, we apply to the technique of classification, clustering, relationship building, prediction, series analysis, abstraction and generalization to mine the data. Our results include the understanding of vehicle theft, possibility of finding stolen vehicles, intrigue in theft claims, etc. That the knowledge we acquire is useful in decision support shows the applicability of data mining in public affairs. The experience we gather in this study would help the use of this technique in other public sectors. Along with the research results, we suggest the law enforcement to consider data mining as a new means to investigate criminal cases, to set up a team of criminal data analysis, to launch a new program to crack down vehicle thefts, and to improve the data entry of stolen vehicles. Keywords: Data Mining, Data Warehousing, Databases, Criminal Data, Stolen Vehicles

碩士
國立清華大學
科技法律研究所
105
Internet and cloud computing technology have been highly developed since 1970. There are different aspects of cloud computing application that cloud storage is one of the common and significant approach. This thesis is aimed to look into the search and seizure of digital evidence within cloud databases from a comparative viewpoint. The thesis begins with the brief introduction to internet and cloud computing technology, including the definitions, features and classifications. Afterward, it describes the search and seizure of digital evidence as a general, and it contains both case law in US and the recent study on the approaches and regulations in Taiwan. At last, it provides the research on search and seizure of digital evidence within cloud databases consisting of the consent search, warrant requirements and Stored Communications Act. Besides, it also illustrates the current investigations on searching and seizing of digital evidence within cloud databases in Taiwan.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2007.
Thesis advisor: Kathleen Bantley. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Criminal Justice." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-45). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This study's main focus was to analyse the methodology used by gold mines when obtaining reference samples required for gold fingerprinting analysis. Such methodology is also regulated by legislation in that in terms of the Precious Metals Act 37 of 2005 sect 22(1), "Any producer or any person who imports precious metals must submit to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) such specimens of any precious metals produced or imported by him or her as may be prescribed". The gold mines are producers of precious metals, specifically gold, and they are therefore required to submit reference samples, which are then used by the SAPS FSL to maintain a database of gold samples. This database can then be used for comparison purposes during the forensic science of gold fingerprinting. The supporting regulations of the Precious Metals Act, Section 19 stipulate seven requirements for the submission of reference samples and this study intends to give guidelines to security officials employed on the gold mines of South Africa to ensure that these requirements are met and that the validity of the SAPS gold fingerprint database is enhanced through improved sample-collection techniques. The use of gold fingerprinting is part of the forensic investigation process used when trying to establish the origin of gold confiscated as an exhibit during police and mining security crime operations and recoveries, and this allows for victim identification in the resultant criminal trial and proper disposal of recovered gold-bearing materials that are recovered. It is important for the mine security official responsible for reference sample collection to keep in mind that the methodology used when obtaining these samples could be challenged in court and that, therefore, definitive guidelines should be followed to ensure that the most representative samples are collected and that the collection and handing over of samples meet chain of evidence requirements.
Criminology
M.Tech (Forensic Investigation)

A dissertação Genética Forense – Análises de ADN, Perfis Genéticos e Direitos Fundamentais dos Arguidos irá abordar a prova genética, aquando da extração de material genético dos arguidos com finalidade de se traçar um perfil genético para posterior comparação com vestígios recolhidos, passando a constar em ficheiro contido numa base de dados de perfis de ADN, permitindo alcançar-se a identificação do autor do crime ou dissipar a eventual prova. Abordaremos os casos de recusa do arguido em ser utilizado como meio de prova na extração de ADN, realizando-se de forma coerciva, averiguando-se questões de consentimento e legitimidade do uso da força e recorrendo-se, para tanto, a decisões judiciais dos Tribunais Portugueses na admissibilidade da coercibilidade na aferição da prova de ADN em contraposição com o exercício dos direitos de defesa dos arguidos – direito ao silêncio e à não autoincriminação – princípio nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare.
The forensic genetic dissertation - DNA analyses, genetic profiles and defendants fundamental rights will approach the genetic proof by the extraction of genetic material from the defendants for the purpose of tracing a genetic profile to posterior comparison with the collected traces. This information will be included on a DNA profile’s database file allowing identification of the perpetrator of the crime or dissipate the eventual proof. We will approach defendants refusal cases being used as an evidence on DNA extraction, carried out coercively, ascertaining questions of agreement and legitimacy regarding the use of the force and using judicial Portuguese courts decisions on the admissibility of coercivity as a way to obtain the DNA proof in contraposition with the exercise of the defendants defense rights - right to silence and non self-incrimination - principle nemo tenetur se ipsum accusane.

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito Judiciário (Direitos processuais e Organização Judiciária)
A progressiva introdução, desenvolvimento e utilização de metodologias científicas de identificação humana no âmbito da investigação criminal adensa o universo da problemática acerca da preservação da identidade pessoal e genética. A par de uma «cientifização» do direito, observa-se a substituição dos tradicionais métodos de investigação criminal pelo notável poder discriminatório da tecnologia de ADN ao serviço da ciência forense. A criação de uma base de dados informatizada de perfis genéticos para fins de identificação criminal coloca uma série de problemas jurídico-penais que se inscrevem diretamente na esfera de proteção dos direitos fundamentais do arguido, sejam direitos pessoais, como a reserva da intimidade da vida privada e a integridade pessoal, sejam garantias processuais de defesa, como o direito à não autoincriminação e a presunção da sua inocência. São estes os pontos que enformam a discussão sobre a compatibilidade entre a realização de justiça num contexto de processo penal democrático e a figuração do arguido enquanto meio de prova contra si mesmo, tendo em conta as exigências de validade do princípio nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare. Tudo isto a aferir-se em função da dimensão da margem de liberdade autodeterminativa ressalvada ao arguido enquanto sujeito processual e figura central do processo penal.
The progressive introduction, development and use of cientific methodologies of criminal identification thickens the universe of problems regarding the preservation of personal and genetic identity. In paraller to the «scientification» of Law, we find the replacement of traditional methods of criminal investigation, now obsolete, for DNA technology’s remarkable discriminating power at the service of forensic science. The foundation of a computerized genetic database for the purposes of criminal identification raises a number of criminal legal issues that enrol directly within the scope of protecting the defendant’s fundamental rights, being personal rights, such as the right to privacy and personal integrity, being procedural defense guarantees, as the privilege against self-incrimination and his presumption of innocence. These are the matters that frame the discussion on compatibility between the attainment of justice herein a democratic criminal procedure setting and the defendant’s depiction as a method of proof against himself, considering the lawfulness standards demanded by the nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare principle. All of the considering to be assessed in relation to the amplitude of the defendant’s margin of self-determinating freedom, as a procedural subject and central figure within the criminal procedure.

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito Judiciário
A presente dissertação de mestrado pretende dar a conhecer o ácido desoxirribonucleico – o ADN – e as suas principais características, bem como a forma como este pode ser aproveitado no âmbito da identificação criminal. Os pilares fundamentais desta temática encontram-se na Lei nº 5/2008, de 12 de fevereiro e na jurisprudência portuguesa, que são aqui analisados com o intuito de perceber a forma como é regulamentada a base de dados de perfis de ADN e qual a valoração atribuída a este tipo de prova, respetivamente. No decurso do estudo do recurso ao ADN como prova criminal afigura-se essencial analisar a criação e implementação da base de dados de perfis genéticos em Portugal, passando pelos problemas relacionados com esta, entre os quais se encontram conjeturas de direitos violados, e por isso se considera necessário aferir do fundamento das mesmas através da análise individual de cada uma. Desta forma, considera-se necessário perceber qual a relevância desta base de dados na prática judiciária mediante a observação do número de perfis de ADN inseridos em conjunto com o número de correspondências conseguidas, quer referentes a amostras-problema quer a amostras-referência, desde o momento da sua criação até ao dia 30 de junho do presente ano. Em suma, pretende-se aferir até que ponto podem ser aproveitadas as potencialidades do ADN no âmbito criminal, sem que tal implique inadmissíveis violações de direitos, liberdades e garantias dos cidadãos.
This dissertation has the purpose of studying deoxyribonucleic acid – DNA – and its main features, aswell as the way as it can be used for criminal investigation. The basis of this theme can be found in the law nº 5/2008 of 12 of February and in the Portuguese jurisprudence, which are analyzed with the goal of knowing how databases of DNA profiles are regulated and what value is given to this kind of proof. During the study of the resort to DNA as criminal proof it will be essential to focus on the creation and implementation of databases of DNA profiles in Portugal, particularly in its problems, among which we can point out the possibility of violation of several rights, which requires an individual analysis of each one. Bearing that in mind, it’s necessary to figure what is the relevance of these databases judiciary law through the observation of the number of DNA profiles inserted along with the number of matches achieved, related to sample-problem or sample-reference, since the moment of its creation till 30 of June of the current year. Concluding, we intend to appreciate how the potential of criminal evidence can be applied in criminal matters without harming, in an inadmissible way, rights, civil liberties and guarantees of the citizens.