Civilians take the lead in forensic science

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. While the site concentrates on sworn state and local police officers, it recognizes the valuable contributions made by civilian personnel, federal law enforcement agents and international police officers to both the fields of public safety and literature. Therefore, Police-Writers.com also lists civilian police personnel under a separate umbrella. Three civilian police writers have joined the growing list: Marty Ludas, Dennis McGowan and William Leo.

Marty Ludas retired after thirty years of consecutive service working as a forensic examiner for three different law enforcement agencies. He received his initial fingerprint instruction during his employment with the FBI’s Identification Division in 1972. Later, while assigned as a special agent in the North Carolina State Bureau of Identification Latent Print Section, he completed an apprentice training program in crime scene investigation and latent fingerprint and footwear examination. In 1982, he gained employment as a latent print examiner at the City County Bureau of Identification in Raleigh North Carolina. He remained at this department until he retired. Marty is certified by the International Association of Identification in two forensic disciplines, latent print identification and footwear identification. He graduated from Wake Technical College with an Associate in Arts, Police Technology and from North Carolina Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

His book, Fingerprint and Impression Analysis, is the companion workbook for the LawTech Custom Fingerprint & Impression Identification (I.D.) Lab Kit. The I.D. Lab Kit and Workbook together provide a new classroom training agenda of evidence collection, examination and interpretation with a concentration on Criminalistics and an introduction to forensic analysis. Learning is initiated through the presentation of instructor lectures using specialized training aids and actual criminal case histories. Linked with this instruction is the hands-on or operational phase, where students must complete a number of assignments using the I.D. Kit. During these labs, students utilize their inventory of equipment and supplies while conducting the assignments.

Dennis McGowan recently retired as Chief of Operations for the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office in Atlanta, GA. He was Chief Investigator for the Medical Examiner's Office prior to this position. Dennis is an experienced medical-legal investigator and emergency response program manager. He was a firefighter in New England during the 1970's and worked in the New Jersey State Medical Examiner's Office through the 1980's. Dennis has over 25 years of fatality/mass fatality management experience and disaster mitigation planning, training and response including coordination of the mass fatality planning for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

His book, Mass Casualty Management, is designed to introduce the concepts involved in planning for and managing a mass casualty and/or a mass fatality incident from the local to regional to national perspectives. Topics include natural, accidental and intentional events, analyzing local resources, and how to request and receive additional resources.

William (Bill) Leo is a Forensic Identification Specialist with the Scientific Services Bureau of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and serves as the Crime Scene Investigation / Latent Print Identification Section Training Officer. Bill began his career with the Latent Print Section of the Los Angeles Police Department in 1976. Bill possesses a B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice, a Lifetime Teaching Credential in Police Science, and has completed graduate studies through Indiana State University. Bill is on the faculty at Long Beach City College and Rio Hondo Community College. Bill is a Past-President of the Southern California Association of Fingerprint Officers and is a Board Certified Latent Print Examiner through the International Association for Identification. He has lectured extensively on the subjects of fingerprint identification and expert witness testimony.

His book, Fingerprint Identification, is an introduction to the historical background of the science of fingerprints and legal aspects, how to recognize fingerprint patterns and sections of the hand, terminology and prints, and how to understand the New Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 311 police officers (representing 134 police departments) and their 732 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.