WHEREAS, the recognition and collection of evidence and trace evidence from crime, terrorism, and other disaster scenes is hindered by the lack of accessible and affordable training for police departments; and

WHEREAS, identification of unknown suspects or exoneration of erroneously accused individuals for crime and acts of terrorism, as well as the identification of disaster and crime victims, are important goals for the law enforcement community; and

WHEREAS, current training for technical crime scene and disaster scene investigation for the documentation, identification of trace and other evidence, and protocols vary in availability, reliability, and affordability; and

WHEREAS, forensic evidence is a crucial element in the identification and prosecution of violent and/or recidivist criminals, including those who commit serial crimes, terrorist incidents, human rights violations, and hate crimes that are a threat to the security of all people; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly recommends the creation of governmental initiatives to develop and provide free online or digital media based training programs, based on discipline appropriate and recognized guidelines, for training in crime and disaster scene investigation and forensic evidence recognition for police departments.