Dear CHANCE Colleagues,

The public is fascinated with forensic science. Many of the most popular television shows, such as “CSI,” “Forensic Files,” “NCIS,” and “The First 48,” involve forensic science themes. In these shows, techniques such as fingerprinting, DNA analyses, facial recognition, firearms forensics, and computer forensics are used to identify perpetrators of crimes.

However, news stories of wrongly convicted and imprisoned people have brought to light the need to strengthen the scientific foundation for many aspects of forensic science. Initiatives are underway to accomplish this goal, with statisticians playing a key role.

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