Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technologies (SWGIT)

The Scientific Working Group on Imaging Technologies (SWGIT), was created to
provide leadership to the law enforcement community by developing guidelines for
good practices for the use of imaging technologies within the criminal justice
system. Attached we present six documents relating to those guidelines for your
review and comment.

The first document, "Definitions and Guidelines for the Use of Imaging Technologies
in the Criminal Justice System" was released as a draft in 1999 for public review
and comment. Based on the resulting feedback we revised this document and are
publishing the final version in the July 2001 edition of the on-line journal "Forensic
Science Communications." You may find it at
www.fbi.gov/programs/hq/lab/fsc/current/index.htm.

The second document, "Draft Guidelines for Field Applications of Imaging
Technologies" was released as a draft in the January 2000 edition of "Forensic
Science Communications" and is once more being released as a draft.

The remaining documents, "Draft Recommendations and Guidelines for the use of
Digital Image Processing in the Criminal Justice System," "Draft Guidelines and
Recommendations for Training in Imaging Technologies in the Criminal Justice
System," "General Guidelines for the Capture of Latent Impressions with a Digital
Camera," and "SWGIT Draft Considerations for Managers," are being released as
draft documents for the first time.

These documents represent the work of over thirty photographers, scientists,
instructors, and managers from more than two dozen federal, state, and local law
enforcement agencies, as well as from the academic and research communities.
They represent the consensus opinion of this membership and should not be
construed as the official policy of any one of the represented agencies.

A goal of the SWGIT is to engage the entire law enforcement imaging community in
the development of these guidelines. Please review these documents carefully and
let us have your feedback. Instructions for doing so are attached. Thank you for your
consideration.

Sincerely,
Richard W. Vorder Bruegge
Chair, SWGIT 

Instructions for suggesting changes to SWGIT
documents or submitting general comments

If you wish to suggest changes in a SWGIT document or submit comments you
may do so electronically or via regular mail.

Formal changes to SWGIT documents will only be considered if the
following information is included:

1.Title of the document for which the change is suggested; 
2.Name of individual requesting the change; 
3.Organization or Affiliation of the requestor; 
4.Address of the organization; 
5.Telephone number and e-mail address, if available; 
6.Specific identification of wording to be eliminated, noting document section
and/or page number; (if applicable) 
7.Specific wording to be added; (if applicable) 
8.Justification describing reason for making the change. 

If simply submitting comments, please be sure to include the following:

1.Your name; 
2.Your job title; 
3.Name and address of your agency; 
4.Telephone number and E-mail address at which you may be reached (if
available); and 
5.Identify the specific document, section and/or page number to which you are
referring, if applicable. 

If replying electronically (i.e., E-Mail) include your name and address information
in the body of your e-mail and enter "SWGIT Feedback" as your "subject" line. You
may include your comments in the body of your e-mail or as an attachment in either
WordPerfect or Word format.

Forward your comments to this e-mail address:  rvorderb@leo.gov

If replying via regular mail include your name and address information in a cover
letter, followed by your comments, and forward them to the following address:

Richard W. Vorder Bruegge
FBI Laboratory
Room 3457
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20535 

Documents to download

Adobe Acrobat format (pdf) 

Cover letter (9 kb) 
Draft Guidelines for Field Applications of Imaging Technologies (108 kb) 
Draft Recommendations and Guidelines for the use of Digital Image
        Processing in the Criminal Justice System (139 kb) 
Draft Guidelines and Recommendations for Training in Imaging Technologies
in the Criminal Justice System (28 kb) 
General Guidelines for the Capture of Latent Impressions with a Digital
Camera (22 kb) 
SWGIT Draft Considerations for Managers (11 kb)