Forensic Audio and Speech Analysis unit experience exchange visits
Forensic Audio and Speech Analysis unit of the Main Criminal Police department of State Police, in anticipation of the 30th anniversary of the units existance, has participated in several experience exchange visits and conferences from January 2022 until February 2024.
These visits were performed within the framework of the European Economic Area project 2014-2021 period program ‘’International Police cooperation and Combating crime’’ project No.EEZ/VP/2020/1 "Support to the State Police with the intent to speed up investigation of economic crimes and boosting quality in Latvia", activities No.4.1.6. intended funds and attending conferences and from activity No.4.1.4. intended funds.
Durning the exchange of experience, Forensic audio and speech analysis laboratories of Baltic states were visited, as well as leading forensic audio and speech analysis research institutes and laboratories accross Europe, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and others. The experience of the laboratories and experts is very different, so these visits have been mutually valuable, while discussing research methodologies, software and other issues related to conducting expertise. Durning the visits, various practical examples were examined, new software was introduced, as well as an insight into the technical equipment of the premises was obtained. As for the structure of the institutes, it should be added that, in Europe, there are laboratories that work as part of the police, together with the crime scene units, and there are independent institutes, seperated from the law enforcement authorities, but in most cases, a forensic unit as a part of the State Police, is considered as much more efficient model.
Most of the laboratories visited are also members of the ENFSI FSAAWG (European Network of Forensic Science Institutes Forensic Speech and Audio Analysis Work Group), and most of the problematic issues are addressed in all laboratories, by trying to improve and facilitate processes, developing new programms, revising and supplementing methods, as well as keeping in mind modern trends and technologies. The 2023 ENFSI FSAAWG meeting, this time held in Armenia, was also attended as part of the project activity. It was attended by 22 participants from 16 countries, presenting the latest research and organizing practical workshops. The strategy for the next period was discussed at the conference, emphasizing the need to engage in new projects, which are mainly related to the development and the impact of the artificial intelligence, the research of innovations and new tools, as well as the importance of raising the qualification of experts, strenghtening cooperation between experts in the same field, participating in joint discussions, interlaboratory tests, as well as expanding knowledge and discussing problems, solutions, trends and technological development in the field of forensic audio and speech analysis, as well as maintaining existing and establishing new international contacts. Closer contact with foreign colleagues was established at the conference.
The specialized conference dedicated to the forensic audio and speech analysis investigation „IAFPA (International Association for Forensic Phonetics and Acoustics) 2023 Annual Conference”, held in Switzerland, had sessions of scientific works in which the latest scientific research and trends were presented, as well as poster sessions and three practical workshops. The topics of the conferencewere multifaceted, but all related to the forensic audio and speech analysis expertise methods, used solutions, standardization, methodology, etc.
We should also mention the 28th international linguistics conference ‘’The Word and its Researsh Aspects’’ organized by the University of Liepāja- it presented the latest research, novelties of terminology and linguistics, as well as other topical issues of linguistics.
Durning the visits, existing and new international contacts were maintained, which will make it easier to cooperate in conducting inter-laboratory tests, learning new expertise methods or testing new software and expanding theoretical and practical knowledge.
The experts of the Forensic Audio and Speech Analysis unit, gave presentations on the structure and functions of the institution and the department, as well also on the research process and solutions to certain problematic issues. The nuances of the development of artificial intelligence technologies in the field of sound recordings were also discussed, as well as an insight into areas less known to experts- video and image research, expertise in determining the author of a written text (studied from a linguistic point of view), speaker profiling, etc., thus allowing experts to expand their knowledge, that could be used in practice in Latvia, in the near future.
Article made on the 3rd of April
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