We invite the various institutions involved in the forensic sciences to engage with their community during the 10th annual National Forensic Science Week (September 18–24, 2022) in recognition of the contributions forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. This is an opportunity to celebrate academic progress, scientific research, and forensic professionals across the umbrella of disciplines that make up forensic sciences. Institutions include police departments, medical examiner/coroner offices, forensic science or crime laboratories, university departments or laboratories, or any other group involved in forensic science research or service. We recommend establishing internal ad hoc groups within your institution that can lead the coordination. Listed below are some ideas for public engagement activities.
1. Social Media – “Meet a Scientist”
An institution introduces one of their members or a group of members in “Meet a Scientist” (e.g., meet the women behind the OCME; meet our fingerprint team). We recommend one post for each day of Forensic Science Week.
2. Social Media – “Learn a Technique”
Like “Meet a Scientist”, “Learn a Technique” introduces a specific method employed by your institution across the various forensic science disciplines (e.g., radiographic comparisons, DNA extraction and sequencing). Each post will contain facts and tidbits about the technique and how it serves an investigation. We recommend one post for each day of Forensic Science Week.
3. Open Houses
Institutions can organize lab tours, activities (e.g., getting fingerprint cards done, digging for plastic bones in a sandbox), lectures, and show-and-tells for the communities they operate in.
**Possible hashtags for social media use include but are not limited to #NFSW2022 #NationalForensicScienceWeek #ForensicScienceWeek and a hashtag or handle specific to your organization.