A comprehensive, hands-on course focused on the proper documentation, recovery, and preservation of footwear and tire tread impressions, with emphasis on techniques that directly impact comparison results and courtroom defensibility.
Course Overview
This intensive three-day course provides investigators with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to properly document, collect, and preserve both two-dimensional and three-dimensional footwear and tire tread impressions. Unlike traditional introductory courses, this training emphasizes how scene documentation and recovery techniques directly affect comparison examinations and evidentiary value.
Participants will engage in a combination of lecture and extensive hands-on exercises covering real-world scene scenarios, laboratory considerations, and best practices for impression evidence that must withstand technical review and courtroom scrutiny.
Hands-on exercises include documentation, photography, sketching, casting, chemical enhancement, and secondary recovery of impression evidence across multiple substrates.
Course Structure
The course is delivered over three days and includes:
- Day 1: Impression recognition, documentation, and photography fundamentals
- Day 2: Secondary recovery techniques, casting, exemplar collection, and chemical enhancement
- Day 3: Tire tread analysis, advanced recovery techniques, examiner considerations, and practical review
Each day incorporates applied exercises and guided review to reinforce defensible forensic practices.
What You’ll Learn
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Recognize and properly document 2D and 3D footwear and tire tread impressions
- Select appropriate detection, photography, and recovery techniques based on scene conditions
- Perform secondary recovery methods for both 2D and 3D impressions
- Conduct chemical enhancement of impression evidence using accepted forensic methods
- Properly collect footwear and tire exemplars for comparison examinations
- Understand how improper documentation and recovery can negatively impact comparison results
Course content includes footwear and tire tread impression history, scene documentation, photography techniques, secondary recovery methods, chemical enhancement, and examiner considerations.
Who Should Attend
This course is designed for:
- Law enforcement personnel
- Crime scene investigators
- Forensic technicians
- Laboratory staff
Both new and experienced practitioners will benefit from the practical focus and applied instruction.
Certification & Credit Hours
This course is approved by the International Association for Identification (IAI) and qualifies toward certification and recertification requirements.
Credit hours are structured to support multiple forensic disciplines:
- Footwear Footwear — 24 hours
- Photography — 24 hours
- Crime Scene Investigation — 24 hours
Course Format & Details
- Format: Lecture and hands-on practical exercises
- Duration: 3 days (8:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
- Prerequisites: None
- Materials Provided: Instructor-supplied training materials
- Participant Equipment: Digital camera with external flash, tripod, shutter remote, polarizing filter (laptop recommended)
Hosting Information
This course may be hosted by:
- Individual agencies
- Regional training groups
- Conferences
Training delivery and format may be tailored to meet the needs of the hosting organization.