Just Science

This special release season of the 2017 NIJ R&D Symposium of Just Science, funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110], interviews Dr. Rob Maher. Below is the abstract submitted where Dr. Rob Maher explains his research: Gunshot acoustics–interpretation of the characteristic sounds produced by firearms recorded at a crime scene–is a specialization within the audio forensics field. Audio forensic evidence is increasingly common in law enforcement investigations because of the growing availability of inexpensive and lightweight digital voice recorders and miniature personal digital video camera systems for routine law enforcement and surveillance use. An increasing number of cases involving gunshot sounds are being captured in these audio recordings. The acoustical characteristics of a firearm depend upon the type of gun and ammunition, the distance and azimuth with respect to the gun barrel, and the acoustical reflections and reverberation du