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What the FBI Says About Evidence Storage and Cold Cases

What the FBI Says About Evidence Storage and Cold Cases

The FBI’s CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) helps local law enforcement identify suspects by comparing DNA evidence to DNA profiles in the CODIS database. It is a powerful tool for clearing cold cases, but now defense attorneys routinely look for a break in the chain of evidence, hoping to rule out a DNA match linking their client to a crime. If a property room cannot prove that DNA was properly stored and properly secured, the evidence becomes suspect and a judge may summarily dismiss the case.

Added to chain-of-evidence issues are changes in state laws requiring retention of DNA evidence for longer periods, as well as increases in the length of the statute of limitations. Writing in the FBI’s “Focus On Forensics,” William Kiley discusses how CODIS and statutory changes place great pressure on property rooms where space, security, and environmental controls are a challenge. It’s a complex problem, and the solutions aren’t always readily apparent. Luckily, there are high-density storage systems with security controls designed specifically for long-term evidence storage. Even more important, the experts at National Office Systems can help explain the options.

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7 Keys for Successful Hospital RFID Implementation

7 Keys for Successful Hospital RFID Implementation

With its care- and cost-management potential, RFID is a powerful tool for hospitals. But without the advice of experts, hospital managers can end up using RFID tags to scrape egg off their faces. Insufficient wifi capacity, overly-complex user interface, disruption of patient care routines…the pitfalls are many. Interviewed in MedCityNews.com, Yedidia Blonder outlines the seven most important planning steps hospital managers should take for successful RFID implementation: http://bit.ly/1FDBic9. The most critical step of all: Consult with an expert vendor.

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Storage Systems Help Teams Fight, Fight, Fight for Clean Uniforms

Storage Systems Help Teams Fight, Fight, Fight for Clean Uniforms

It might be the world’s number-one dirtiest job: washing athletic uniforms. At most colleges, team gear ranging from chlorine-steeped bathing suits to mud-coated football uniforms has to be cleaned and ready to use again the next day, or sooner. And it’s an enormous task – the University of Wisconsin turns over 10,000 pounds of athletic laundry each week. Efficiency is essential, according to UW athletic department director of equipment Terry Schlatter, and high-density storage is part of the efficiency plan. Schlatter customized his facility’s high-density storage with a variety of hanging racks and shelving designed for the individual needs of each sport. To ensure that each student athlete’s equipment was returned to the right person, an inbox/outbox locker system was added to let students drop off laundry before morning classes and retrieve it in time for an afternoon workout.

It’s something the average sports fan never thinks about, but it’s part of “keeping it clean” in the world of college athletics. Read the full story at: http://bit.ly/1DxU1Vb

Photo © Michael Chamberlin – Fotolia

 

New Trend: Storing Paper Copies of E-Books

New Trend: Storing Paper Copies of E-Books

The e-book revolution had us thinking we’d never need bookshelves again, but librarians and digital storage experts are becoming concerned that digital media won’t have the same long-term stability that paper has. After all, paper from ancient Egypt has survived through thousands of years and is still readable today. But as e-readers and other electronic devices evolve, they may “orphan” the current data formats, leaving today’s readers and researchers with nothing but error messages.

The Internet Archive Project is addressing the longevity problem by printing out an archive copy of some 10 million e-books. Although project director Brewster Kahle prefers to discuss the reference value of an original printed work rather than the issue of fragile data, the fact remains that upward compatibility and unstable bits-and-bytes are an ongoing debate. And with storage space requirements of approximately 860 books per pallet, where will the Internet Archive store these millions of books? Read about the plan here: http://wrd.cm/18httOz

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