Seminar Topic: Forensic Investigations of Premises after a Fire or Burglary
The main objective of this in-house seminar is to enable police crime scene investigators and forensic scientists as well as insurance industry loss adjusters to understand what evidence is created on premises by perpetrators forcing doors, windows and other security devices.
An essential part is the development of visual recognition skills that enable a participant to make an initial assumption about whether the evidence would preclude or point to a successful forcing of security devices. As part of the practical side of the seminar, participants will also learn to differentiate which evidence is plausibly part of a particular incident, and which can be assumed to be simulated.
Participation is limited to 16.
This ensures that each participant has the opportunity to try their hand at forcing doors and windows with the tools supplied, and to analyze and evaluate the resulting evidence.
After this seminar, crime scene investigators and loss adjusters will know precisely what to look for when first faced with doors and windows at the scene of a burglary which are assumed to have been forced by the perpetrators.
The ability to differentiate between real and simulated evidence means that experts only need to be consulted in the case of irregularities.
The seminar also aims to show how facts that come to light can significantly influence the further course of the investigation. This can prevent false accusations being made as well as an insurer’s refusal to accept liability or unjustified legal or civil proceedings. An expert would only need to become involved when the evidence encountered by the trained observer differs from that presented at the seminar.
For insurance companies who no longer need to employ external specialists, the improved expertise of their loss adjusters should result in significant savings.
After a fire, one should always request an investigation if the possibility of arson can be assumed when sufficient evidence presents itself. Such an investigation would aim to establish how the perpetrator gained access to the premises prior to arson being committed.
Furthermore, forensic and laboratory results can give information about possible additional and alternative ways of gaining access through doors and windows without leaving obvious clues, and which tools might have been used.
As well as visual observation of the evidence, the presentation of laboratory investigation provides knowledge of numerous other ways of detecting evidence that might have been caused by the use of various blocking devices.
And finally, we will present possible means by which a perpetrator may have gained possession of additional keys, and how this can be proven.
Loss adjustment for electronic locking systems requires a different method. Very often, and due to the limited memory capacity, investigation has to be carried out as quickly as possible. We concentrate in particular on widely available security systems and possible ways of disabling them, as well as methods of identifying tampering.
The seminar is designed for a total of 16 participants, mostly from the insurance sector and the police. We do not accept individual applications.
The cost of the one-day seminar is 3.280 € plus VAT. The cost includes all refreshments and lunch. Also included are all materials, read-outs of vehicle immobilizers and mechanical security devices (destroyed to the point of being unusable).
We encourage participants to use their own camera to take pictures during the seminar as a reference for their future work. In addition, we provide handouts.
Should overnight accommodation be required, please let us know in good time. We can put you in contact with local hotels offering favorable rates.
Program: One-Day Loss Adjustment Seminar for Burglary and Fire on Premises
1. Examination of premises after fire and burglary
– Examination of glass, glass breakage, direction of attack, evidence of glass cutting
– Preconditions for carrying out an examination
2. Examination of window locking devices
– after a fire
– after a burglary
Coffee break
3. Analysis of evidence caused by the use of tools and implements
4. Examination of doors
– after a fire
– after a burglary
5. Analysis of evidence created by the use of tools and implements on wooden doors, plastic doors, metal-frame doors
Lunch break
6. Practical demonstration:
– Forcing windows with different tools and implements
– Analysis of marks and traces left by the use of tools and implements
– Forcing doors with the help of lever tools
– Analysis of marks and traces
– Forcing of locking cylinders on doors
– Analysis of marks and traces
– Destruction of glass panes
– Analysis of evidence and tips concerning direction of attack
7. Presentation of microscopic investigation methods and discussion of results
Coffee break
8. Presentation: electronic locking devices
Methods of forcing
Evidence of tampering
9. Presentation: Methods of copying keys
– Traditional and non-contact methods
– Creating a cast duplicate
– Using impressioning
10. Loss of key for General Master Key System, Master Key System and Central Lock System
– Information about loss adjusting
– Presentation of the necessary inspection criteria
11. Laboratory visit
– Presentation of digital photography and imaging technology
– Stereo-zoom microscopy
– Scanning-electron microscopy
– Analysis of materials
12. Conclusion