Contract Instructor: Craig C. Moore Course length: 40 hours
We all know how forensic science is under greater and greater scrutiny before the eyes of the court, so it only makes sense to learn the relative sciences behind BPA. The 40-hour Basic Bloodstain Pattern Recognition course will provide a firm understanding of bloodstain pattern analysis through a unique blend of:
1. Theory-enriched study broken down into:
BPA History
Bio-Chemistry
Physics
Fluid Dynamics
Trigonometry
2. Hands-on practical experiments with mammalian blood
3. Case presentations
The detail to theoretical concepts in fluid dynamics, physics, and trigonometry differentiates this class from many others. Craig believes it all but impossible to recreate the countless variations in the basic bloodstain pattern types found at a crime scene. Through various refined and experimental apparatuses, the instructor demonstrats how the forces of nature are at work. These forces are all around us, but we take them for granted. Airborne blood, on the other hand, is guided by these principles to create their final stain pattern, a pattern a BPA practitioner must try to recognize.
This course is front-end loaded with theory, meaning Day 1 is primarily a classroom setting with the final segment being devoted to introductory experiments. The majority of Days 2 and 3 involves hands-on participation by all attendees with specific experiments involving mammalian blood. Day 4 is primarily devoted to determining the Area of Origin from an impact pattern. This is initially performed by stringing a pattern. From there the attendee will further utilize trigonometry with an x-y graph to illustrate the area of origin on paper and then finally with mathematical averaging to explain where in 3-D space the blood source originated.
Day 5 is typically the day reserved for case studies presented by Craig and, of course, the final written word, short answer exam.
In total the class does 16 experiments, the majority of which are completed by the attendees as small groups. A few are performed as a class exercise, i.e. the shooting range session is performed by the hosting agency’s range master.
This course will teach the attendee the relevant historical events that help shape BPA to what we know today. Also the attendee will appreciate bio-chemistry as it relates to human blood. Newton’s Law of Motion and other physical forces at play will be discussed along with topical discussions on fluid-dynamics. Core Trigonometry will be touched upon by using the visually simplistic shape of a road/traffic pylon and how precise measurements of stains can reveal blood droplet’s flight path prior to striking and making the stain measured.
The Basic Bloodstain Pattern Recognition course contains a well-established curriculum, peer reviewed by experts in their own right, designed to be used as a reference guide throughout your career. Unique, singular-use experiment apparatus’ have been designed and refined over the years to provide the best practical, hands-on learning experience available. The premise behind this introductory BPA course is to generate fundamental understandings as they pertain to elements of science. These collectively cause BPA to be thought of as applied science or at the very least a technical discipline within the study of crime scene forensic science.
