California Division of the International Association for Identification

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Forensic Laboratory offers two types of internships. Both internships are geared towards college students or college graduates.

If you would like to be considered for either Forensic Internship, please submit the application materials to:

San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Forensic Laboratory
50 Tower Road
San Mateo, CA 9440

The County of San Mateo's Sheriff's Office Forensic Laboratory, which is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board in both Testing and Calibration, is seeking to fill a Criminalist I/II position within its Forensic Biology and DNA Section, which includes participation in crime scene examination.

The Forensic Laboratory was constructed in March 2003 and is located in San Mateo, California. It is managed by a civilian Laboratory Director who is currently supported by three Supervising Criminalists, one Legal Office Services Supervisor, 28 Criminalists and interns, two Legal Office Specialists, and two Property Officers. The Criminalist will report to a Supervising Criminalist and will analyze evidence seized in the course of criminal investigations, providing laboratory analysis and expert witness testimony in the areas of serology and DNA analysis. They may participate in validation studies of new technology and methods for use in casework, cold case investigations, internal audits, and guiding our intern program. Also, on a rotational basis, they will respond with a partner to investigate crime scenes for homicides and officer involved critical incidents. To learn more about the department, visit: https://www.smcsheriff.com/multi-jurisdictional-division/forensic-laboratory.

Level I-Incumbents assist in performing difficult latent print analyses in the field and/or in
the office involving the development, evaluation, comparison, and identification of latent prints from objects of evidence, structures, or other materials. Typical duties include assisting in gathering latent prints and tracing evidence at crime scenes; making impressions of tire tracks, tool marks, footprints, fingerprints, and other latent prints; performing latent fingerprint identification; conducting cold searches against an automated database search; preparing court exhibits; and preparing investigative reports and correspondence.

Incumbents may also be assigned to perform latent print analyses relating to the Automated Fingerprint Identification System.

Level II-Incumbents independently perform difficult latent print analyses in the field and/or in the office involving the development, evaluation, comparison, and identification of latent prints from objects of evidence, structures, or other materials. Typical duties include assisting local law enforcement officers in the investigation of crime scenes and the gathering of a variety of latent print evidence, making impressions of latent prints, including taking fingerprints from unknown deceased persons; performing difficult fingerprint identifications; conducting cold searches against an automated database search; preparing investigative reports and correspondence; preparing court exhibits; testifying in court as a latent print expert; and training local law enforcement
officers/personnel in latent print analysis techniques.

Incumbents may also assist in the training of Latent Print Analysts I.

🚨🚨NEW MERCH ALERT!! 🚨🚨

Come out and see us at the 2024 CSDIAI Annual Training Seminar in Bakersfield, Ca, April 22-26 to purchase yours!

***ATTENTION CSDIAI MEMBERS***

Call for NOMINATIONS! Join the CSDIAI Executive Committee and help shape the future of your organization!

See details on flyer!

Hello fellow CSDIAI members! My name is Bryanna Toussaint and I am proud to be your CSDIAI 3rd Vice President.

I grew up in a small town in Montana. After high school, I left my home to pursue my dream of starting a career in Forensics. My journey brought me to the Grossmont Community College Forensics program, and I ultimately graduated with an associate degree in Administration of Justice with emphasis in Forensic Technology. While at Grossmont Community College, I met many people within the Forensic Community. This lead to my position as an intern with the El Cajon Police Department Crime Laboratory, as well as the Chula Vista Police Department, which also brought me on as an intern in their Crime Laboratory. In both of these positions, I was trained and mentored, which allowed me to compete for paid employment in the Forensic field. My first paid position was a temporary position at the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Crime Laboratory, where I learned how to evaluate and search latent prints in AFIS. Since this was a temporary position, I started seeking employment opportunities in the Forensics field, so I could fulfill my dream of having a career in Forensics. That lead to a new position at the Carlsbad Police Department as a Fingerprint and Evidence Specialist. Over the course of five and half years, I received great training and experience in the area of crime scene investigation and latent prints. Eventually, I decided to take a job with the Escondido Police Department in the Forensic Services Unit. I have now been with Escondido Police Department for almost 10 years. During this time, I became certified as a latent print examiner with the IAI organization, and I completed my bachelor degree in Organizational Leadership from National University. In the last 6 years, I have taken the role of a working supervisor in the Forensic Services Unit. These last 6 years have been a privilege for me serving both my community and the Forensics field.

Life has come full circle, and I currently teach at Grossmont Community College in the Forensic Technology program, where my journey began. It is an excellent and reputable program for students entering the field of Forensics. I’m proud to say that several local agencies within San Diego County recruit volunteers and employees from this program!

CSDIAI has also greatly contributed to my growth in the field of Forensics. I have been a member of the CSDIAI since 2008, and I’ve also been a member of IAI since 2007 and SCAFO since 2008. Over the years, I have attended many training programs and conferences sponsored by these organizations. However, in the past couple of years, I have decided to become more involved within CSDIAI. The idea of having a venue for forensic professionals to network, learn new topics, and create a place to collaborate within the Forensic community is essential. Since these trainings, meetings, and conferences require a lot of work and resources, I am aware that it takes a team of people. With the decline in overall participation over the last few years, specifically after COVID, I have been motivated to become even more involved, and I hope that I can inspire others to do the same. It would be quite rewarding to be able to assist with trainings, conferences, and especially recruiting future active members!

In my very limited spare time, I like to work on house projects, tend to my hobby size farm, go walking/hiking with my dog, and escape the city for the occasional camping trip.

APPLY TODAY!!

MUST be submitted by February 1st, 2024!

William A. Snare Memorial Scholarship:

Education scholarship of up to $500 for applicants who are attending college or university in California or Nevada. Must be a resident of CA or NV and attending an accredited college or university and enrolled in a forensic related major, or be a part time student and be employed with a law enforcement agency. Minimum of 60 units or have an associates of arts degree. Also must have cumulative gpa of 2.5 or higher. College transcripts must be submitted with application.

Grant:

Applicant must be current active or life member in good standing for a minimum of 3 consecutive years leading up to application. Also must be a resident of California or Nevada. Must have attended a minimum of 2 CSDIAI annual training seminars within the past 8 years prior to application. Certificates of attendance must be submitted with grant application. Must be a full time employee of a forensic related profession.

HAPPY NATIONAL FORENSIC SCIENCE WEEK!!

Don't forget to vote! Your vote is important!

Throwback to the early days of the CSD newsletters! Before the California Identification Digest, there was the iconic Ident-O-Gram Newsletter. The decision to change its name was made during the July 1988 business meeting by vote of the membership.

-Cynthia Vidana, Historian

Incumbents provide scientific support in a forensic laboratory, including performing a variety of analytical tests to support forensic scientists; conduct preliminary tests on evidence and issue reports related to preliminary tests; perform maintenance on laboratory equipment to ensure compliance with quality assurance standards; perform a variety of functions associated with complex data management and imaging systems.

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lvmpd/jobs/4148462/forensic-laboratory-technologist-latent-prints?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

CSDIAI Members representing our chapter at the IAI International Forensic Educational Conference in Maryland last week.

***JOB POSTING ALERT***

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sacramento/jobs/4152258/forensic-identification-specialist-i-ii

"""FREE VIRTUAL TRAINING""" See details below!

A free online event to help you create a unified forensic team with less conflict and more productive conversations
Registration webpage: https://forensicsupervisorsuccess.com

Do you have a workshop you would like to educate others with? Do you have an interesting case study that others would like to hear? Have you always wanted to present on a topic but have not had the opportunity? Well, Bakersfield 2024 just might be your year! Details listed below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Hi, my name is Jeff Cecil and it is an honor to serve as your President of the California State Division International Association for Identification. It is a goal of mine this year to be more present and active on social media, therefore you will be seeing a lot more posts including job postings within the region, notifications about upcoming meetings and events and even this new segment, where Board Members provide a little background on themselves to show you who we are. I hope you enjoy this feature. You will get to know many who serve on the board over this next year.

I was born and raised right here in Bakersfield, California, and I am proud to call Bakersfield my home. I attended Foothill High School and graduated in 1994 then moved on to attend college at California State University, Bakersfield. In 1997 my father, who was a Bakersfield Police Department Detective, suggested that I apply for a Cadet position that had opened at the department. My application was accepted, and I began my tenure at the Bakersfield Police Department. One of the greatest joys of my life, besides my kids being born, was having a chance to work alongside my father prior to his retirement in 2004. He spent 31 years with the Bakersfield Police Department, and I have always been proud to carry on the Cecil family legacy with this agency.

After my first year with the Bakersfield Police Department, I was assigned to the Crime Scene Unit and quickly knew that this was the career path I was destined to be on. I had held a few other jobs prior to this, I was a cook at a summer camp for three summers in the late 1990’s and I also worked as a paper shredder for a local company prior to joining the Police Department. In the year 2000 I was hired full time as a Police Laboratory Technician. I joined the IAI and CSDIAI shortly afterwards. In 2014 I was hired as the Crime Lab Supervisor and have held that position ever since. I also currently hold a Latent Print Examiners certification.

I have two adult children, Patrick and Zachery, and if you have ever spent any time with me you might have heard me talk about Travis and Cara also, who I refer to as my God children. All four of the kids are heavily involved in sports (baseball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, and golf) and I spend many days and nights attending practices and watching them compete. Travis currently plays soccer at Liberty High School. I personally am a golfer and almost every Friday you can find me on a golf course chasing that golf ball around, cursing at an errant shot, and wondering why I still play this game. I played during my high school years and was a part of the Championship team in 1994.

For those Crime Junkies out there I have been featured on several TV crime shows, and you can see me on my most recent appearance of Forensic Files II, Season 4, Episode 8- True Bugs. The case featured on this episode is a prime example of multiple law enforcement agencies collaborating with each other, thinking outside the box, and bringing closure to a family mourning the loss of their loved ones.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about me and I look forward to seeing you all in Bakersfield 2024.

107 years ago today the California State Division International Association for Identification was duly chartered. I would like to take a moment to recognize all members past and present who have made this organization what it is today. Thank you for the dedication you provide for your communities and this organization on a daily basis.

-Jeff Cecil

Save the date!!

MEET YOUR CSDIAI HISTORIAN, CYNTHIA VIDANA:

I am excited to serve as the 2023-2024 Historian. I have been employed as a Forensic Specialist with the Santa Monica Police Department since 2018. I became a member of the IAI in 2019 and a member of the CSDIAI in 2021. Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to serve in the Press & Compliments and Science & Practices Committees of the CSDIAI.

As Historian, a major project I will be working on will be in creating a digital archive of historical CSDIAI materials and artifacts. Currently, historical CSDIAI materials and artifacts can only be accessed by visiting the climate-controlled storage locker unit in Visalia, CA. I hope to make these materials more readily available to future CSDIAI historians by creating a searchable and organized digital archive. As I sort through some of the historical materials in storage, I hope to share some of them with you in future publications.

I would also like to encourage any member who may have stories, topic ideas, or items they would like to share with me, to please contact me at https://csdiai.com/contact-us/.

**JOB POSTING ALERT**

The County of San Mateo Sheriff's Office is seeking highly tactful candidates with exceptional attention to detail to join their team as a Sheriff's Property Officer!

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sanmateo/jobs/4121173/sheriffs-property-officer-i-ii-open-and-promotional

Join us for the VIRTUAL Mid-Year Meeting in October!

We had an amazing seminar! Thank you to everyone who came to learn, teach, and socialize! We had so much fun at the banquet, check out the photos and add your own

The CSDIAI Seminar is underway in San Diego! Are you attending? Use to tag yourself in photographs to be featured on our social media pages.

Only one week away! If you aren't able to make the seminar in person, you can always register and attend online!

The CSDIAI 107th Seminar is only 20 days away! Feeling creative? Enter the Poster Contest to showcase your research, new techniques, case reviews, history, etc. Enter the Photography Contest to showcase your artistic side. Not registered to attend the seminar yet? Register here: https://lnkd.in/gMap6F3R

Enter the Poster & Photography Contest at the CSDIAI 107th Annual Education Seminar, May 22-26, 2023 in San Diego! Entries can be submitted online by scanning the QR code until May 15 or physically submitted at the seminar by May 24. We look forward to seeing everyone's submissions!

Register for the conference now: https://lnkd.in/gMap6F3R

Have you registered for the CSDIAI 107th annual training seminar yet? Early-bird pricing ends this Friday, April 7!

Register now: https://forms.gle/Xa2MXAz3PPANys6y7

Checkout the amazing line-up of speakers and workshops here: https://tinyurl.com/2a3jwdrs

We are excited to announce John Grassel as our Keynote speaker for the CSDIAI educational seminar in San Diego, May 22-26!

For a complete schedule of speakers including the online live-stream hybrid room visit the following link: https://tinyurl.com/2a3jwdrs

Ready to register? Fill out the registration form located at https://forms.gle/Xa2MXAz3PPANys6y7

Register soon, early-bird pricing ends on April 7th!

Don't miss your chance to hear these amazing speakers at the 107th CSDIAI Educational Seminar May 22-26, in-person in beautiful San Diego or virtually from the comfort of your own home. Early bird registration ends April 7. Register today!

Register here: https://lnkd.in/gT3TtN7P

Seminar Schedule: https://lnkd.in/g3DdD7Ut

Would you like to get more involved in your forensic community? The CSDIAI Nominations Committee is in search of motivated individuals that are interested in joining the Executive Board and continuing our association’s mission of supporting research, training, and improvement of our Forensic profession. Nominations are due by February 14, 2023.

As we reflect on the past year, let's celebrate what is to come. Happy New Year from the CSDIAI!

Interested in helping plan the 107th Educational Seminar? Find out how you can help by attending the next Seminar Planning Committee Meeting at 6pm on the second Thursday of each month. The Zoom link can be found in the Members Only section at www.csdiai.com

Next meeting is Thursday January 12 at 6pm

Please join us tomorrow, 10/15 at 9AM for the Midyear Meeting via Zoom! All members are welcome! Visit csdiai.com for the link and details.

California Division of the International Association for Identification updated their business hours.

Members! Go checkout the latest digest. Not a member yet? Visit csdiai.com to signup for membership!