Citation

Gerard RV, Lindsay E, McVicar MJ, Randall ED, Gapinska A. J. Can. Soc. Forensic Sci. 2012; 45(2): 57-63.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00085030.2012.10757183

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The three studies described in this paper were undertaken to determine whether gunshot residue (GSR) particles could be detected on police officers, on their equipment, in police vehicles, and on civilians who work in a police environment. Three Toronto area municipal police services participated in this research. The first study involved collecting samples from patrol and plainclothes officers and their equipment. The second study compared observations for forensic identification officers and civilians working in the same facility. The prevalence of GSR particles in the rear passenger compartment of police vehicles was examined in the third study. For each study, tapelift samples were collected and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX). At least one GSR particle was detected on the hands of 60 percent of the patrol and plainclothes officers sampled and on 24 percent of the police equipment sampled. Twenty-five percent of the forensic identification officers sampled had at least one GSR particle on their hands. No GSR particles were found on any of the civilians sampled. Only two of 18 vehicles sampled were found to have any GSR particles present and, in each of these two incidences, a single particle was detected. The presence of GSR particles on police officers' hands, equipment, and vehicles demonstrates that these are potential sources of particles available for transfer.