Forensics Unfiltered with Gap Science

Join us as we continue on a two-part series on forensic training with special guests Glenn Langenburg and Eric Ray, co-founders of The Double Loop Podcast, in front of a live audience. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the vital role of training programs within the forensic community.

Glenn and Eric share their expertise on what constitutes effective training and crucial aspects that training programs should assess during the probationary year. Together, we explore current forensic training methodologies, shedding light on the impacts deficiencies have on the integrity of forensic evidence and the criminal justice system as a whole.

If you missed Part 1, make sure you go back one episode and tune in to the first part of our conversation. It's so good, you won't want to miss out!

As discussed on today's episode:

Join us as we kick off a two-part series on forensic training with special guests Glenn Langenburg and Eric Ray, co-founders of The Double Loop Podcast, in front of a live audience. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the vital role of training programs within the forensic community.

Glenn and Eric share their expertise on what constitutes effective training and crucial aspects that training programs should assess during the probationary year. Together, we explore current forensic training methodologies, shedding light on the impacts deficiencies have on the integrity of forensic evidence and the criminal justice system as a whole.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we continue our exploration with Glenn and Eric, diving deeper into strategies for improving forensic training programs and shaping a more reliable future for forensic science.

As discussed on today's episode:

In this episode, we're diving into the world of the most overlooked high-risk unit in law enforcement agencies and state labs: the Evidence Unit!

Despite being a cornerstone of the criminal justice system, Evidence Units are often neglected in terms of staffing, training, and equipment.

Join us with special guest Jennifer Mead as we uncover the critical role evidence units play in the investigation and prosecution of crimes, and the staggering liabilities they face when not properly supported. Throughout the interview, Jennifer Mead explains the challenges Evidence Units encounter, the consequences of neglect, and actionable steps to ensure they receive the attention and resources they deserve.

Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of why supporting Evidence Units is essential for upholding justice and maintaining public trust in our legal system

As discussed on today's episode:

Happy 2024!

We're kicking off the new year with a somewhat polarizing topic: standardization in the Forensic Field. This topic created quite a buzz near the end of 2023, so we're interested to hear your thoughts!

Joining us for this conversation is a special guest who has knowledge and experience in creating standards, so without further adieu help us welcome Brianne Breedlove from Uncover Forensics!

Join us for an engaging conversation with the seasoned law enforcement veteran, Lt. Bryan Macy, as he takes us on a rollercoaster ride through his 30-year career. In this candid interview, Lt. Macy shares the highs, lows, and revelations of his journey from patrol officer to Sworn Lieutenant overseeing a civilian Forensic Unit.

Discover the candid moments where Lt. Macy admits to learning and misunderstanding the nuances of forensics, and how these revelations shaped his leadership. Delve into the strategies he employed to build trust within his diverse team and how he successfully bridged the gap between the Forensic Unit and other departments within his law enforcement agency.

Raise your hand if your agency has a backlog! If that's you, you're most definitely not alone!

There are some bottlenecks and inefficiencies that are unavoidable (i.e. vacant positions or inadequate staffing levels), but in some ways we shoot ourselves in the foot grasping to "the way things have always done" or inflexible casework protocols. Join Ashley and Erin as they discuss the bottlenecks they've experienced and ways they've alleviated this problem in their forensic units.

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world.

These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

We've got another captivating episode for you! Join us as we sit down with the remarkable Dr. Meredith Tise, a forensic powerhouse with a journey that spans continents and decades. From her early days interning at a local funeral home to identifying remains from World War II Veterans, Dr. Tise takes us on a gripping adventure through the world of forensic anthropology.

But the excitement doesn't stop there! Dr. Tise shares the challenges she faced in sunny Tampa, Florida, where she played a pivotal role in getting Crime Scene and Latent Print Units accredited. Hear about the hurdles, the hesitations, and the triumphs as she turned skeptics into believers. Today, Dr. Tise is not just an accreditation assessor but a beacon of inspiration for Forensic Units nationwide.

Debriefings are a touchy topics!

In a field where we're taught to compartmentalize and stuff our feelings deep down inside, not many forensic professionals are eager to sit down and talk about if or when a scene effects them on an emotional level.

Join Ashley and Erin as they discuss their experiences their limited experience with debriefings and thoughts on how they can be better implemented.

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world.

These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

What do you think - is the forensic field behind the times??

It's been said logic is fast, science is slow. But in some ways, it feels like some forensic practices are stuck in time. Join Ashley in this solo episode as she shares her thoughts on where the forensic field is advancing and where it's falling short.

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world.

These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

The 2023 Forensic Supervisor Success Summit starts next week, so this will be the LAST bonus episode before we kick things off. Hopefully you've been enjoying last year's virtual summit interviews AND getting pumped for this year's summit presentations!

In many ways, we saved the best for last. It's a heavy but necessary topic, Erin chats with Alice White about "Knowing When It's Time to Walk Away" from the forensic field.

Last September we hosted a free 4-day event titled “Forensic Supervisor Success Summit” designed to help you thrive in a forensic supervisory position by setting goals, optimizing resources and skills, and getting organized. 768 registrants from 38 states and 14 countries were able to learn from 28 speakers and listen to 32 presentations!

If you love this episode, we know you’ll love the other presentations too. The presentations featured on Forensics Unfiltered make up only 15% of the entire summit! You can get instant access to replays for all 32 presentations in the All Access Pass on gapscience.teachable.com.

How can you have a healthy work-life balance when forensic professionals have been told their agency "owns" them?

Unfortunately, this is a very common hardship spread across many forensic disciplines. Join Ashley and Erin as they discuss their experiences, struggles and lessons learned "the hard way" when it comes to managing a healthy work-life balance in their forensic careers.

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world.

These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

Hopefully you've been enjoying last year's virtual summit interviews AND getting pumped for this year's summit presentations!

This interview was soooo good! Listen in as Erin chats with Steven Moser about "Gaining Buy-In from Your Team and Chain of Command" and everything in between.

Last September we hosted a free 4-day event titled “Forensic Supervisor Success Summit” designed to help you thrive in a forensic supervisory position by setting goals, optimizing resources and skills, and getting organized. 768 registrants from 38 states and 14 countries were able to learn from 28 speakers and listen to 32 presentations!

If you love this episode, we know you’ll love the other presentations too. The presentations featured on Forensics Unfiltered make up only 15% of the entire summit! You can get instant access to replays for all 32 presentations in the All Access Pass on gapscience.teachable.com.

Ah, yes - burnout! The struggle is real.

Join Ashley and Erin as they discuss the five main causes of burnout, how those effect forensic professionals, and was to alleviate burnout if (or when) you're struggling.

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world.

These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

We’ve got another guest interview from our virtual summit for ya! We love this guest interview from our virtual summit with Shawn Henderson titled “Creating an Outstanding Unit Culture”. Shawn established Evidence Management Institute in partnership with Tracker Products. Evidence Management Institute offers training classes, online certifications, as well as auditing and consulting services!

Last September we hosted a free 4-day event titled “Forensic Supervisor Success Summit” designed to help you thrive in a forensic supervisory position by setting goals, optimizing resources and skills, and getting organized. 768 registrants from 38 states and 14 countries were able to learn from 28 speakers and listen to 32 presentations!

If you love this episode, we know you’ll love the other presentations too. The presentations featured on Forensics Unfiltered make up only 15% of the entire summit! You can get instant access to replays for all 32 presentations in the All Access Pass on gapscience.teachable.com.

Erin is back! Join Ashley and Erin as they discuss the struggles they experienced working as a female civilian in law enforcement.

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics  that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world. These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

This is our second bonus episode of the summer! Join us for a guest interview from our virtual summit with Ryan Berry titled “Having Conversations with Your Chain of Command”. Ryan is a Captain at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and formerly part of Erin’s chain of command!

Last September we hosted a free 4-day event titled “Forensic Supervisor Success Summit” designed to help you thrive in a forensic supervisory position by setting goals, optimizing resources and skills, and getting organized. 768 registrants from 38 states and 14 countries were able to learn from 28 speakers and listen to 32 presentations!

If you love this episode, we know you’ll love the other presentations too. The presentations featured on Forensics Unfiltered make up only 15% of the entire summit! You can get instant access to replays for all 32 presentations in the All Access Pass on gapscience.teachable.com.

Ashley is solo this week as Erin searches the bottom of a lake. Tune in to this month's episode of Taboo Topics: Changing Agencies & Career Paths as Ashley explains her experiences changing agencies, and just a few years later changing careers entirely.

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics  that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world. These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

On this bonus episode, we’ll be kicking things off with a guest interview from our virtual summit with Larry Stringham titled “Prioritizing When You Supervise Multiple Forensic Units”. Larry is a retired Forensic & Evidence Supervisor from the Cape Coral Police Department and presently sits on the Board of Directors for the IAI and serves as the Conference Planner for the Florida Division of the IAI. Nowadays, you can find Larry teaching forensic training courses!

Last September we hosted a free 4-day event titled “Forensic Supervisor Success Summit” designed to help you thrive in a forensic supervisory position by setting goals, optimizing resources and skills, and getting organized. 768 registrants from 38 states and 14 countries were able to learn from 28 speakers and listen to 32 presentations!

If you love this episode, we know you’ll love the other presentations too. The presentations featured on Forensics Unfiltered make up only 15% of the entire summit! You can get instant access to replays for all 32 presentations in the All Access Pass on gapscience.teachable.com.

Let's continue the discussion about money problems in this episode of Taboo Topics: Money Problems + Sworn vs Civilian! And if you missed last month's episode, make sure to catch up by listening to Episode 3: Money Problems in the Forensic Field (Taboo Topics Series).

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics  that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world. These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

In this episode, we'll explore money-related challenges faced by forensic employees, focusing on differences in pay between sworn and civilian staff. Our discussion covers various factors affecting pay, such as field training officer roles, on-call duties, shift differentials, education, certifications, and uniform stipends. While pay discrepancies can create a rift between sworn and civilian staff, there are other areas where we can work towards improving collaboration and reducing friction.

Check out previous episodes:

Join us for the next episode of Taboo Topics: Money Problems in the Forensic Field! If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics  that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world. These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

On this episode we'll chat about our experiences with money issues in the forensic field. This discussion covers problems with low salaries for public servant positions, lack of compensation for advanced degrees and certifications, and the differences between government jobs and private contract positions. Stay tuned for Part 2 next month! We'll continue discussing money issues in the forensic field + the differences between sworn and civilian forensic positions.

Check out previous episodes:

Creating a podcast has been a goal of ours for a couple of years, and we're excited to finally making this dream a reality!

But while we're figure out all the ins and outs that goes into  creating and maintaining a podcast, we wanted to give you something to  listen to in the meantime. So we're bringing back Taboo Topics!

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you  may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics  Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics  that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world. These  discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in  with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

Join us for the second episode of Taboo Topics: Being Pregnant as a CSI.  We'll chat about the different experiences we've had when a coworker  gets pregnant while working in a predominately female unit, and Ashley  will talk about her perspective of being pregnant as a crime scene  investigator. At the end, we'll also discuss the rights a pregnant  person has as a protected class and how to avoid a lawsuit through  proper policies and treatment.

New Taboo Topics episodes will be published every month in 2023!

More episodes:

Creating a podcast has been a goal of ours for a couple of years, and we're excited to finally making this dream a reality!

But while we're figure out all the ins and outs that goes into creating and maintaining a podcast, we wanted to give you something to listen to in the meantime. So we're bringing back Taboo Topics!

If you're new to Gap Science or aren't active on social media, you may not be aware that Ashley and Erin had a segment called "Taboo Topics Tuesdays" where they went live on Instagram and talked about topics that are avoided or "brushed under the rug" in the forensic world. These discussions quickly became a fan favorite and many followers chimed in with questions, insights, and varying perspectives.

Join us for the first episode of Taboo Topics: Strife Between Seniors & Newbies. We'll chat about the different experiences we've had in Crime Scene and Latent Print Units as a newbie fresh out of college, a "newbie" at a new agency, senior staff, and supervisors. Throughout the discussion, we'll also discuss how we can close the gap between the different levels of staff through better understanding and communication.

New Taboo Topics episodes will be published every month in 2023!

Links from today's episode: