Examination of Firearms Review: 2007 to 2010 - Interpol

The Glass Manufacturing Industry Council (GMIC) is devoted to research on how
to strengthen glass (www.gmic.org).
The International Collaboration on Glass Mechanics promotes cooperation
among scientists and engineers active in areas of glass mechanics (www.glassfracture.org).
The National Glass Association (NGA) promotes education, workmanship, ethics,
and safety in the architectural, automotive, and window and door glass industries.
The NGA acts as a clearinghouse for industry information (www.glass.org).
Additionally, the website www.glassmagazine.com promotes itself as, “the official
magazine” of the National Glass Association, and provides subscribers glass
industry news, trends, glass industry statistics, and supplier resource guides.
The website www.glassonweb.com serves as a source of information on flat
glass.
Finally, the web service www.glassfiles.com is dedicated to collecting and
distributing educational information on the global architectural and automotive
glass industries.
2.1 United States National Academy of Sciences report, “Strengthening
Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward.”
In the last three years, much of the emphasis in the forensic community has been
on interpretation, standardization and reporting, at least partially a result of the
United States National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, “Strengthening
Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward.” Although the report did
not contain specific criticisms of forensic glass analysis, it did include criticisms of
and recommendations for the trace evidence discipline in general (2).
Nevertheless, reaction to the report reaffirms the need to improve the quality of
all forensic science disciplines.
The NAS report has had a serious impact on the United States forensic science
community, specifically because of extensive and mostly negative media
coverage. The forensic community is responding. In May, 2009 Acting Director
of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of the United States
Department of Justice Kenneth Melson addressed the US Congress. In general,
Mr. Melson argued that the forensic community welcomed the NAS report as a
positive contribution to the forensic community, but cautioned the public that the
report should not undermine the use of forensics in general or offer judgments on
cases currently in the judicial system (3). The Office of Science and Technology
of the President of the United States has developed a subcommittee on forensic
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