October 25, 2022

Scattered Skeletons and Solid Gold at the Forensic Symposium  by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) recently hosted the Central Florida Forensic Symposium, attracting attendees from 24 different law enforcement agencies and a variety of specialties. Forensic scientists were able to learn from some of the top PCSO forensic scientists to keep their skills sharp. Two of the classes were very hands-on. PCSO’s Forensic Quality Assurance Coordinator and forensic anthropologist Dr. Meredith Tise led the Scattered Skeletons class. Early that morning she spread replica bones in a grassy area for the class to locate, map, and collect. Most of the time forensic scientists conduct a line search, walking slowly in a uniform row as they search for bones or other evidence. Each find is marked with a pin flag. In particularly dense vegetation or if the remains are very scattered they might use a grid search, where the area is crossed a second time perpendicular to the first search. Finding the evidence is only half of the job. Each piece must be photographed and exactly mapped. Forensic scientists set up an axis as a reference point and then measure the bone’s position relative to that. Hand maps and sketches can be important tools to supplement digital records. They never know what piece of evidence might make or break a major case, so nothing is overlooked and everything is documented. Dr. Tise told the class that finding scattered human remains in an urban area like Pinellas County is rare. Ironically, just a few minutes later the county’s bone expert got a phone call about scattered remains found in the mangroves in Clearwater. She’s the go-to source for identifying whether bones come from a human or an animal, and in this case she determined through photos that the scattered remains were indeed human. Forensic scientists must be ready for any kind of call at any time. In another class, Assistant Forensic Science Supervisor Rhonda Klein and Forensic Science Specialist Craig Giovo demonstrated two fascinating ways to develop or visualize latent prints. Latent prints are the impressions left on surfaces of the ridges on fingers, hands, or feet, made up of the oils and chemicals found on human skin. Sometimes they can be revealed and collected in the way everyone has seen on TV – by dusting. But often the prints are more obscure and require special techniques to reveal their secrets. One of the most interesting is the Vacuum Metal Deposition Chamber (VMD). Giovo showed the class tiny flakes of pure gold that are vaporized inside the chamber. The fumes rise, so the evidence is mounted at the top of the chamber. Once the gold particles adhere to the latent prints, zinc is added and also vaporized, providing the contrast needed to easily observe and photograph the prints. In some cases alternative metals such as silver or copper may be used. VMD can be used on a wide range of evidence, everything from bullet casings to paper products to fabric. Since the process doesn’t damage DNA, the evidence can undergo DNA testing later on. Forensic scientists use different wavelengths of light to reveal prints that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. The Full Spectrum Imaging System (FSIS) uses short wave ultraviolet light to see prints. It is especially useful for prints on documents that might be rendered illegible by other methods. Forensic scientists in the class learned how to properly position the light source, fine-tune the focus, and photograph the prints. Other classes at the symposium involved discussion, such as Latent Verification/Conflict Resolution led by Biometric Records Manager Mara Iocolano and Latent Print Examiner David Villanueva. That class delved deeply into the scientific method by which latent print examiners reach accurate conclusions about the evidence they gather. Assistant Forensic Science Supervisor Kristen Hernandez led an interactive class in how to testify about forensic evidence in court. PCSO forensic scientists firmly believe in sharing their knowledge. They make all of their training resources available to other agencies and enjoy hosting classes to make sure that forensic scientists around Florida have the knowledge and skills to solve the toughest cases.

SPOT Unit Monitors Predators and Offenders  by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

When a person is designated as a sexual offender or a sexual predator, they will have to register and be tracked for the rest of their lives. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) Sexual Predator and Offender Tracking Unit (SPOT) is charged with monitoring and gathering intelligence on sexual predators and offenders throughout the county. “The primary focus of the registry is community awareness,” said Sergeant Matt Wilkins. “The public has the right to know that offenders are in the area.” Offenders have been convicted of a sex crime, which may include charges like sexual battery or sexual activity with minors, while people are designated sexual predators based on such things as the age of the victim or a court’s decree. When a sexual predator moves into an area, SPOT issues door to door notifications within one square mile of the offender’s residence, informing citizens of the person’s charges and including a photo. Every offender and predator in Pinellas County has to register with SPOT, providing them with such information as address, place of work, vehicle description, and information about their online accounts and screen names. Offenders must report to the SPOT office twice a year and update their information; predators report quarterly. Failure to report can result in charges or jail time. Sergeant Wilkins emphasizes that the system isn’t punitive. “We do everything we can to put them on the right track,” he said. “We don’t set them up to fail.” The SPOT Unit has nine detectives. Eight of them have designated zones within the county, monitoring about 220 offenders each. The ninth detective handles transients and career offenders – a court designation for those who have committed subsequent similar offenses after their initial conviction. Tracking can be difficult when the offender or predator is a transient – a person who is currently unhoused or who may sometimes live with different people for short periods of time. With no home address for SPOT to monitor, transient people must check in every 30 days. “We have a pretty good check-in rate,” Sergeant Wilkins said. Recently, he said, they only had four transient people who didn’t show up, and when they tracked them down, one was in jail. Some offenders and predators will claim to be homeless so they can circumvent residency requirements. Depending on their status and the jurisdiction they may not be allowed to live near schools, day care centers, playgrounds, or other places. “When they come in, we look for clues that they may not be legitimately homeless,” Sergeant Wilkins said. If SPOT detectives are suspicious, they will follow the offender to determine their residence. “We had about 50 we suspected weren’t transient. When we investigated we found that 26 did in fact have a residence. Twenty criminal charges resulted from our investigation.” Anyone harboring a sex offender or predator in a place they aren’t allowed to live can also be subject to criminal charges. The sex offender registry is about 25 years old now and some of the offenders are getting elderly. When they don’t check in, detectives may find them in a hospital or nursing home. Most offenders will be on the registry for life, but in rare cases it is possible to petition the court to be removed depending on the nature of the original crime, the length of time on the registry, and the offender’s subsequent behavior. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains a searchable database of Florida sexual offenders and predators. You can search by the offender’s name or do a neighborhood search to find any offenders or predators living in your neighborhood.  

PAL Benefit Breakfast Helps At-Risk Youth by Laura L. Sullivan, Public Relations Specialist

Join the Pinellas Sheriff’s Police Athletic League (PAL) for their Annual Benefit Breakfast Friday November 18th and help make a difference in the lives of local kids. Networking starts at 7 a.m. with the program beginning at 8 a.m. You can learn more about sponsorship levels here. Pinellas PAL provides classes, services, and support to at-risk youth. Kids in kindergarten through 12th grade can not only participate in sports with PAL, but also receive meals, mentoring, leadership training, and academic help. Pinellas PAL has a drumline, dance classes, boxing lessons, and a chess club too. Support the community by investing in children through Pinellas PAL.

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