Network: Geoforensics and information management for crime investigation

警方搜寻谋杀受害者的坟墓或埋藏的文物，依靠的是识别地面扰动的视觉迹象和丢弃的物品，这些都是昂贵的、往往没有成效的地面搜寻和挖掘工作。该提案旨在通过研究成果使用者和不同科学学科的代表网络，评估法医实验室、检察部门和警察部队等组织的需求。该网络的活动将是审查和评价土壤和植被分析“指纹”、非侵入性测量、数据和图像分析等专题的现有技术和新技术，以及与地理数据库的联系，以帮助限制与犯罪现场证据有关的搜索范围。该项目的工作将涉及以下主题：1.建立一个对土壤和植被的法医应用具有用途或科学兴趣的专家网络。制定一个计划，向不同的受众传达项目的活动和结果。阅读和报告土壤和植被分析主题的现有和新技术，包括测量技术、图像解释和地理数据库链接。在法医学项目内一个小组的专门知识指导下，编写进一步供资的提案。该网络将定期举行会议，所有成员进行一般性讨论，并举行专家小组会议，讨论下列标题下的主题：法医学，土壤和植被特征分析，图像分析（例如，通过使用飞机、卫星或在地面上拉动的遥感）和测量工具、计算机软件、数据库和结果的通信。会议的性质将是就分析土壤和植被的不同类型方法的价值和改进的优先次序交换意见，图像测量和分析对查明地下地物的价值，以及利用地理数据库帮助寻找目标地区，例如，通过分析证据，确定具有土壤和植被特征的地点。预计网络活动的主要受益者将是警察部队，法医实验室（如法医科学服务和警察实验室）和法律的机构，以及提供法医分析的私营公司。从一开始，将邀请这些方面的代表组成一个咨询小组，其作用是确保研究得到适当的设计。该小组还将就选择方法的标准、犯罪现场环境的例子、必须向法庭提交证据的方式以及满足法医调查员和分析员要求所需的标准提供咨询意见。在项目接近尾声时，将开展工作，提高对该专题感兴趣的其他团体对项目活动的了解，包括就有关专家的培训材料提出建议。该网络的一项任务将是拟订建议，要求欧洲联盟、各国政府和工业界进一步提供资金，以发展满足法医活动要求的科学，并开发所用方法的商业应用。

Non-technical summaryPolice searches for murder victims' graves or buried artefacts rely on recognising visual signs of ground disturbance and discarded items undertaken by costly, often unproductive, ground searches and excavations. This proposal aims to evaluate the needs of organizations such as forensic laboratories, prosecution services, and police forces, through a network of users of research, and representatives from different scientific disciplines. The activities of the network will be to review and evaluate existing and new technologies in the topics of analytical 'fingerprinting' of soils and vegetation, non-invasive measurement, data and image analysis, and links with geographic databases for aiding in limiting areas of search associated with evidence from a crime scene. The work of the project will address the following topics:1. Creation of an network of experts with a use, or scientific interest in forensic applications with respect to soils and vegetation.2. Development of a plan of communicating the activities and results of the porject to different audiences.3. Reading and reporting on existing and new technologies in the topics of analysing soils and vegetation, with measurement techniques, image interpretation, and links to geographic databases.4. The writing of proposals for further funding, guided by the expertise of a group within the project working on forensic science.The network will meet at regular intervals with general discussions for all memebers, and specialist group meetings to address topics under the following headings: forensic science, analysis of the characteristics of soils and vegetation, image analysis (e.g. by remote sensing using aircraft, satellites, or pulled across the ground) and measurement tools, computer software, databases and communications of results. The nature of the meetings will be to exchange opinions on the value of, and prioritise improvements in, different types of methods for analysing soils and vegetation, the value of image measurement and analysis for identifying buried features, and the use of geographic databases which can be used to help target areas of search by, for example, identifying sites with a combination of soil and vegetation characteristics derived from analysis of evidence.It is anticipated that the principal beneficiaries of the network activities will be Police Forces, forensic laboratories (such as the Forensic Science Service and police laboratories), and legal institutions, as well as private companies offering forensic analysis. From the beginning, representatives from these parties will be invited to form part of an advisory group, the role of which will be to ensure that the research is appropriately designed. The group will also advise on criteria for the selection of methods, examples of the environment at the scene of a crime, the ways in which evidence has to be submitted in court, and the standards required to meet the requirements of forensic investigators and analysts. Towards the end of the project work will be done on raising understanding of the activities of the project for other groups with an interest in the topic, including recommendations for materials for training for relevant experts. A task of the network will be to develop proposals for further funding from the European Union, national government and industry to develop the science behind the requirements of the forensic activities, and to develop commercial applications of the methods used.