Footwear evidence

What is Class Characteristics of a footwear mark?

• Size
• Pattern
• Make/model

Individual Characteristics of a footwear mark?

• Wear
• Damage
• Cuts

Explain legality of footwear recovery and what PACE code?

PACE D

Police can take impressions or images of the soles of footwear from a person in custody without consent if they are suspected of being
involved in a criminal offence

Types of Footwear Marks – How They Are Formed?

• Marks made by dry material (e.g., dust or dirt) deposited on a
  surface

• Marks from wet substances (e.g., mud, blood) that dry and leave a
  visible print

• Negative impressions created by the removal of existing material
  (e.g., wiping through dust

• Indented or 3D impressions left in soft surfaces like mud, sand, or
  snow

• Bruise marks on skin caused by forceful contact with footwear

Factors affecting the formation of footwear marks?

• Surface Characteristics

• Type of contaminant present

• Wet/Dry origin of the mark

• Footwear type and condition

• Walking/running speed

• Duration of contact

• Applied pressure during contact

How can you locate Footwear Marks at Crime Scenes

• Visual Examination
• Retrace offender’s steps — think like they did
• Key places to check:
• Outside & inside sills
• Bin lids, toilet seats
• Paper on floor, vehicle footwells
• Tiled floors, gardens
• Not exhaustive — be thorough and use common
sense

When conducting a visual examination what do you need?

Light source/ torch

What kind of process is footwear photography

Non-destructive process
not destroying anything

What Can Footwear Evidence Tell Us?

• Number of individuals present
• Direction of approach
• Point of entry
• Movements within the scene
• Point of egress
• Direction on leaving
• Make and model of shoe
• Linking multiple scenes

Describe 2D footwear marks

Formed on hard, flat surfaces

Common locations of 2D marks

Windowsills
Floors
Worktops
Tiles

What surfaces can 2D marks occur on

Porous surfaces (e.g. fabric, untreated wood)
Non-porous surfaces (e.g. glass, metal, tile)

Describe the recovery sequence of footwear marks 2D

• Photograph first
• Assess the mark
• Enhance if required
• Recover/Lift
• Package and preserve

Common Recovery Methods?

• Electrostatic Lifting Apparatus (ESLA) Particularly effective for dry dust marks
• Gelatine Lifters Suitable for visible and enhanced marks Often provide excellent detail
• Powder Enhancement
Used on latent marks
Followed by photography and lifting

Describe 3D footwear mark characteristics

• Common Surfaces
Soil, Sand, Snow, Mud, Powders etc
• Depth
Deep or Shallow
• Surface Stability
Stable/Unstable

(A 3D mark may sometimes transfer and result in a 2D impression
elsewhere)

3D Footwear Marks General Recovery?

• Always photograph first (with scale, oblique lighting)
• Do not remove embedded debris (e.g., stones, twigs)
• Pour casting mix close to the ground, outside the impression
• Use a steady, smooth flow
• Tap gently to release air bubbles
• Add label
• Allow to dry fully
• Do not clean the cast

How to get prints from Granular Substrate

EGS DRY SOIL, SAND, CEMENT POWDER, FLOUR ETC

• TOO FRAGILE TO SURVIVE THE POURING
• PHOTOGRAPH MARK
• SPRAY WITH HAIR LACQUER (hair spray) TO HOLD TOGETHER
• CAST
• DO NOT CLEAN THE CAST

How to get prints from Submerged Marks

• Photograph mark using a polarising filter
• Gently sieve casting powder over mark
• Powder will sink into the mark
• Do not attempt to drain the puddle
• Only method currently available

How to get prints from Marks In Snow

• Photograph
• Fix
(snow wax or light sprinkling of casting medium) - usually casting exothermic would melt )
• Cast
• Recover

What is an immovable footwear mark

footwear impression left on a fixed surface that requires recovery at the
scene.

Search with light source is it moveable or immoveable