Tom Mieczkowski

Practical experiences in application of hair fatty acid ethyl esters and ethyl glucuronide for detection of chronic alcohol abuse in forensic cases

This article presents results from 1872 hair samples, which were analyzed for fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG). The results were evaluated in the context of self-reported drinking behavior, the use of hair cosmetics, the gender of the sample donors and hair sample length. For comparison, CDT and GGT in serum were available in 477 and 454 cases, respectively. A number of alcohol abstainers or low moderate drinkers and excessive drinkers were selected for assessment of cut-offs for FAEEs in the proximal 6cm hair segments and for EtG in the proximal 3cm hair segments. Cut-off values were assessed by ROC analysis. It was found that the cut-offs of 1.0ng/mg FAEE and 30pg/mg EtG presently used for excessive drinking lead to a low portion of false positives (4% and 3% respectively) but to a higher portion of false negatives (23% and 25% respectively). Comparison of the mean and medium concentrations in samples without any reported hair cosmetics (N=1079) and in samples with reported use of hair spray (N=79) showed an increase by the factor of about two for FAEE but no significant difference for EtG. Mean values of EtG were decreased by 80% in bleached samples (N=164) and by 63% in dyed samples (N=96). There was no significant effect of bleaching and dyeing on FAEE. Hair gel and hair wax, oil or grease showed no significant effect on both FAEE and EtG. With respect to gender and investigated hair length ambiguous results were obtained because of major differences in the compared subpopulations of male with higher alcohol consumption and mainly shorter hair, and less drinking female with longer hair. For excessive drinkers FAEEs in the 0-6cm hair segment and EtG in the 0-3cm segment decreased with increasing time of reported abstinence before sample collection. These drinkers attain the level of teetotalers only after more than 10 months of abstinence. In comparison to scalp hair, FAEEs recovered from armpit hair and leg hair were lower and from chest hair were higher. EtG in armpit hair was lower and in leg hair higher than in scalp hair. It is concluded that the combined use of FAEE and EtG essentially increases the accuracy of interpretation since both markers complement each other by a different sensitivity to sources of error.

Lethal Outcome in Sexual Assault Events: A Conjunctive Analysis

This paper examines violent sexual assaults and the factors associated with those assaults with lethal outcomes. It utilizes a criminal events perspective in conceptualizing the nature of these assaults and divides the event into three domains: victim characteristics, situational characteristics, and crime characteristics. Using a method developed by Miethe, Hart, and Regoeczi, conjunctive analysis of case configurations, we find that certain characteristics of the crime itself and certain characteristics of the victim appear strongly associated with fatal outcomes in sexual assaults, while situational characteristics appear relatively weakly associated with lethality.

Using Hair Analysis, Urinalysis, and Self-Reports to Estimate Drug Use in a Sample of Detained Juveniles

This paper reports select findings of a research project designed to estimate drug use prevalence in a youthful offender population using hair analysis as well as urine testing and interviewing. The project was carried out in Cleveland, Ohio, and Pinellas County, Florida. The findings are consistent with earlier reports on prevalence estimations utilizing a bioassay component. Generally, respondents report drug use infrequently and test positive by assays at rates greater than self-reported use. Urinalysis indicates more drug prevalence than does interview. Hair assays, which have a greater retrospective time window, show even more prevalence than does urine testing. The project affirms results reported in 1994 by Feucht, Stephens, and Walker.

Fatty acid ethyl ester concentrations in hair and self-reported alcohol consumption in 644 cases from different origin.

For diagnosis of chronic alcohol abuse, fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) were determined in hair samples from 644 individuals, mainly parents from child protection cases. The analysis for ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate and ethyl stearate was performed according to a validated procedure consisting of external degreasing by two times washing with n-heptane, extraction with a mixture of dimethylsulfoxide and n-heptane, separation and evaporation of the n-heptane layer, headspace solid phase microextraction of the residue after addition of phosphate buffer pH 7.6 and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using deuterated internal standards. For interpretation, the sum of the concentrations of the four esters C(FAEE) was used with the cut-offs 0.5 ng/mg for the proximal scalp hair segment 0-3 cm or less and 1.0 ng/mg for scalp hair samples with a length between 3 and 6 cm and for body hair. C(FAEE) ranged from 0.11 to 31 ng/mg (mean 1.77 ng/mg, median 0.82 ng/mg). The mean concentration ratio between the 4 esters was 8:45:38:9. 298 cases had C(FAEE) above the cut-offs. Self-reported drinking data were obtained in 553 of the cases in the categories abstinent (156 cases), moderate drinking (252 cases) and excessive drinking (145 cases). Median and box-plot data clearly demonstrate differentiation of these ingestor sub-populations by C(FAEE). However, in the abstinent and moderate groups the consumption was frequently underreported (37 and 110 cases positive) whereas in the group self-reported excessive drinking 32 cases were negative. Comparison of C(FAEE) with carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) in 139 cases and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) in 136 cases showed a good agreement in CDT- and GGT positive cases (27/28 and 32/41) but a large portion of the negative CDT- and GGT-results with positive hair test (44/100 and 48/95) which is explained mainly by the much shorter time window of CDT and GGT. No significant correlation was found between persons weight and C(FAEE) showing that the test is not biased against physical fitness or obesity. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference between scalp hair (541 samples) and hair from other body sites (84 samples). In conclusion, FAEE in hair appeared to be suitable markers for the detection of excessive drinking. However, as there is no proportionality between drinking amount and C(FAEE), the additional use of other markers can increase the reliability of the interpretation.

An examination of the convergence and divergence of internal and external allegations of misconduct filed against police officers

The use of citizen complaints as a valid and reliable measure of actual police behavior has often been criticized. It is the purpose of this study to validate the use of externally generated citizen allegations of misconduct as an indicator of police malpractice by comparing the occurrence of internally generated complaints. Using both the internal and external complaints of misconduct that have been filed with the internal affairs office of a large police agency in the Southeast as a database, this manuscript will explore for possible similarities in the identity of the accused officers, officer characteristics, and types of complaints.

Distinguishing passive contamination from active cocaine consumption: assessing the occupational exposure of narcotics officers to cocaine

Hair analysis has been used in probationary and parole populations to monitor for cocaine use, but only in very limited settings or circumstances. Its wider adoption has been limited by questions regarding the ability to distinguish environmental contamination of hair via casual contact from actual ingestion. To evaluate this capability we sought to identify persons routinely exposed to cocaine, who were not cocaine users. Undercover narcotics officers engaged in cocaine-centered enforcement activities and evidence room clerks who have no history of cocaine use were identified as an appropriate example population. Thirty-six active undercover officers and four evidence technicians were asked to voluntarily submit hair samples for analysis. Additionally two cocaine contaminated (aqueous soaked), three negative control samples, and hair from a self-reported crack smoker were also blindly submitted to the testing laboratory. The hair samples were washed and after washing, enzyme digested. The wash solutions and hair digest were each analyzed for the presence of cocaine. The results indicate that nearly every person had trace amounts of cocaine contamination in the wash fraction, and one person had cocaine present in their hair digest That person, when retested, was a negative. The laboratory correctly identified and characterized the contaminated, negative, and positive controls. The study concludes that the findings support the capability of hair analysis to distinguish cocaine use from exposure under normal field conditions. The study results indicate that cocaine-abstinent persons who are in chronic, casual environmental contact with cocaine are not likely to test hair positive for cocaine using the analysis protocols followed in this project. The study also indicates that passive microingestion of cocaine needs to be considered when examining persons who are in cocaine intensive environments.

A research note: the outcome of GC/MS/MS confirmation of hair assays on 93 cannabinoid (+) cases

This article reports the outcome of gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry confirmations for THC and carboxy-THC on 93 hair samples screened by RIA for cannabinoids. The samples were taken from probationers in Pinellas County, FL, who voluntarily provided the research staff with six hair and six urine specimens, collected at 1-month intervals. There were 40 samples that were RIA (+), urinalysis (-). Samples were selected which had cannabinoid (+) outcomes for hair, urine, or both. The THC and/or the carboxy-THC was (+) on confirmation. Of these 40 samples, 22 were (+) for both THC and carboxy-THC, 15 were (+) for THC but not carboxy-THC, and three were carboxy THC (+), but THC (-). Only one sample had a (+) RIA, but was (-) for both THC and carboxy-THC on confirmation. RIA detection of cannabinoids was confirmed in nearly all cases. Most cases that were RIA (-) but urine (+) were cannabinoid (+) when analyzed by GC/MS/MS.

The Experiences of Women Who Sell Crack: Some Descriptive Data from the Detroit Crack Ethnography Project

The author examines the role of women in various crack sales venues. He reports basic sociodemographic data on women crack sellers derived from a convenience sample obtained in Detroit, Michigan. He also reports various descriptive experiences of these women and develops a series of role typologies that characterize the various experiences of the subjects. The article also describes a variety of role type transitions experienced over time by the subjects. Finally, he examines various coping strategies employed by the subjects in dealing with the challenges and dangers that are an aspect of drug selling, and contrasts these strategies with male crack sellers.

Police Use of Force Detectives in an Urban Police Department

This research focuses on a seldom-studied police officer subgroup: detectives. Although detectives and patrol officers possess similar authority in terms of effecting arrests and using force in performing their duties, there are differences in operational responsibilities between these groups. These differences might contribute to variations in force use in encounters with the public. The data in this study are derived from an urban police department’s use of force reports for the year 2000. The frequency and types of force used and the resistance encountered by detectives are identified and then compared to patrol officers in this department. Although the results are mixed, some findings indicate that detectives use higher force levels than patrol officers, even though there is no significant difference in exposure to resistance levels. This result is unexpected and raises further questions about how role differences between detectives and patrol officers affect their respective applications of force.

Risk estimations of the conjunction of victim and crime event characteristics on the lethal outcome of sexual assaults.

This study examines what factors may distinguish injury from death in sexual crimes. We suggest that victim characteristics may work in conjunction with the crime context to enhance or reduce a fatal outcome once a sexual assault is underway. Based on a sample of 201 sex offenders who either physically injured or killed their victim, we calculate risk estimations of lethal and injurious outcomes for various conjunctions of victim characteristics and contextual aspects of the crime event. One of the most interesting findings is the apparent protective effects of a victim’s criminogenic environment, which consistently appears to decrease the probability of a fatal outcome.