Blindspots of Forensic Analysis

In this special episode of Blindspot, we sit down with Ed Primeau and Michael Primeau. The father and son team have been working side-by-side since 2009 and are the owners and forensic experts behind Primeau Forensics. With 2020 in the rearview mirror, Ed and Michael give us a look inside the trials and triumphs that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to their small business and look ahead to what 2021 has in store.

The COVID-19 global pandemic ravaged our country’s small businesses in 2020. Hundreds of thousands were forced to reimagine how they do business, or, sadly, shut their doors. And although surviving organizations are starting to recover from their COVID-19 hit, a new era of change has commenced. From accelerated digitization to permanent shifts in management styles, Ed and Michael discuss their takeaways from the year.

Next, the justice system faced a myriad of challenges following the onslaught of COVID-19. An industry that is known for being slow to embrace technology, social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders forced rapid evolution from court systems and the legal profession. This evolution includes tele-working, live-streaming, and shifting operations to the cloud. Ed and Michael discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on the legal industry, as well as their roles as forensic experts and expert witnesses.

All eyes are looking ahead to the future. What will 2021 bring? From new service offerings to exciting media features, we take a moment to touch on what listeners can expect to see from Primeau Forensics in the coming year.

Listen now to this special episode of Blindspot. Subscribe to the Blindspot podcast to automatically receive the latest episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device. Select the subscription method in the column to the right that best fits your lifestyle.

Primeau Forensics’ team is dedicated to supporting our clients and providing forensic litigation and consulting services that will assist their investigations. Contact us today or call us at (800) 647-4281 to learn more about our forensic services.

I sit down with Barry Levy in this podcast episode of Blindspot. Barry is a screenwriter and producer known for his work in popular films, such as Vantage Point, Paranoia, and Wolves of Wall Street. You can explore his filmography further by following this link.

During this interview, Barry and I will dive into the relationship between Hollywood and forensic science. Modern movies and television shows frequently portray a fictional concept of science for the sake of entertainment. As a result, the general public is misled as to the capabilities of forensic experts.

With this in mind, Barry addresses how he learned to work and write in the world of Hollywood. And, how viewers of these movies and television shows should approach forensic science and the experts working in the field. Listen to the podcast now and subscribe to receive the latest episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

As millions of businesses are disrupted and people settle into their homes amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is our pledge to continue supporting our clients and provide them with litigation support services that will assist their investigations. The Primeau Forensics team will continue to offer forensic expertise, our experiences from the field, and an extensive list of services from the safety of our homes. 

On Friday, March 23, Primeau Forensics began prepping its team for remote work amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic. Three weeks later, I am sitting in my dining room with a beautiful view of the backyard. Exactly how the company started years ago!

I have become fluent in several technological tools to boost efficiency during my time away from the office. These tools include Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Clio Grow, and Clio Manage. All of these have given my team the opportunity to stay connected to each other, as well as to our clients.

Following dozens of phone calls with clients and fellow colleagues, I learned that courts are still carrying on business. Many cases have been granted a continuance or postponement. On the other hand, bail and bond hearings are still in process. In fact, I will be testifying via Zoom on two occasions during the month of April.

It was during one of these phone calls that I reconnected with an old friend and trial attorney from Chicago, Nenye Uche. Nenye and I have worked on several cases together over the years. I consider him to be one of the most brilliant attorneys I have ever met. He has handled numerous high-profile cases featured in major media outlets such as CNN and The Guardian. And, he was recently named into the 2019 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star List. You can explore Nenye’s biography and a long list of professional achievements on his website.

Nenye has an incredible story to tell and I am ecstatic to share it with you on my podcast series, Blindspot. Listen to the podcast now and subscribe to receive the latest episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

As millions of businesses are disrupted and people  settle into their homes amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is our pledge to continue supporting our clients and provide them with litigation support services that will assist their investigations. The Primeau Forensics team will continue to offer forensic expertise, our experiences from the field, and an extensive list of services from the safety of our homes. 

Above all, the goal of forensic enhancement is to better hear dialogue by removing unwanted noise. This scientific process of improving the quality of dialogue is also known as speech enhancement or dialogue enhancement.

Forensic audio enhancement services are the scientific process of clarifying audio recordings using non-destructive techniques to preserve speech quality. This is crucial for the trier of fact can make determinations about the events within the recorded evidence.

An equalizer is one of the most important filters or tools for audio enhancement. This is true for an audio engineer as well as an audio forensic expert.

There are many different types of equalizers with different capabilities. The core functions are always the same. Users may increase or decrease sound levels and frequencies. Frequencies that should be considered when performing forensic enhancement are 20 Hz to 20 kHz. All frequencies that fall into that range  are called ‘frequency bands.’ Each frequency band is typically marked by its center frequency, while the width of the band will vary between different equalizers. Some equalizers even allow the frequency band and the width to be adjusted.

These tools are crucial when performing a forensic audio enhancement. Noise and other unwanted extraneous frequency content is usually the biggest issue with audio recordings. Equalizers and filters offer the ability to remove narrow ranges of unwanted frequencies so that these unwanted noises can, for the most part, be removed from the recording. This focused process leaves all wanted frequencies like dialogue untouched.

One of the software programs we use at Primeau Forensics is Adobe Audition. It comes with the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. Our favorite filter in Audition is the Multi-band Compressor. A compressor is another type of filter that helps enhance an audio recording to expose wanted sounds and remove the unwanted sounds. Another company, iZotope, has added some of its filters to Adobe Audition. Their noise reduction filter is also an excellent tool for removing unwanted sound.

Critical listening skills develop over time and are also referred to as ear training. Each of us has a different perception of sound. In other words, our hearing is unique to each individual. What we hear from a set of speakers or headphones is unique to us as individuals. In order to develop your critical listening muscle, you must experiment and observe. Remember, science is observation.

When using an equalizer, it’s important to be careful to boost or increase frequencies and amplitude (volume) gradually. It is also important to reduce or cut different frequency ranges selectively. This is because some of the time, removing a certain noise that appears to be at a certain frequency may seem to help. However, there could also be a lot of important wanted or voice content in that same frequency range. Making the proper adjustments with an equalizer requires both experiences with the equipment, critical listening skills, and a lot of trial and error.

When we process an audio recording for speech enhancement, we note the types of filtering and associated outcomes in our work notes. Work notes include the various filters applied to a recording, the differences in sound quality and intelligibility. The settings are then noted. Experience, the more time spent, and the more audio enhancements that are successfully completed. We are extremely familiar with frequency ranges and improving the quality of audio recordings.

Now listen in with audio and video forensic expert, Ed Primeau, as he discusses the use of equalizers in forensic audio enhancements. Subscribe to receive the latest Blindspot episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

As an audio forensic expert, knowing what tools are available for audio enhancement and how they work is extremely important. While compressors are often thought of as tools for music production, they serve many functions in the audio forensic world. Like with most audio signal processors, it takes training and experience to operate compressors properly and effectively when enhancing audio.

When an audio enhancement is required, the recorded signal is often very low, or the desired source is unbalanced, with other signals in the recording. Compressors can increase the gain of a recording while also balancing the levels of the sound sources. While compressors will vary, most have the same basic controls. These include the threshold, attack, release, ratio and makeup gain.

It is easy to focus on raising the level of the desired signal with a compressor and produce a loud, but unintelligible work product. Sometimes a smaller amount of compression may have a more positive effect on the audio. An experienced audio forensic expert will know how to effectively clarify the recording based on his or her knowledge of audio and signal processing.

Now listen in with audio and video forensic expert, Ed Primeau, as he discusses the use of compressors in forensic audio enhancements. Subscribe to receive the latest Blindspot episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

Sgt. Bill Tilson is a police officer with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He has been working in the department since September 2002 and began working with body-worn cameras in 2012 when the department began issuing them to officers. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections from Lewis-Clark State College and an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration from the College of Southern Idaho.

Sgt. Tilson has seen first hand the benefits of body-worn cameras in law enforcement and has been a major part of their integration into the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. He has also dealt with many of the struggles that police departments are facing a large amount of video that is being captured by these body cameras.

We suspect that if you are reading this post, you have a boy worn camera video and questions. Why are there glitches in the video recording? Does the time code numbers jump for no reason? Is the audio poor and need forensic enhancement? Does your body-worn camera recording have an established chain of custody? Check out this article for more information on Establishing a Chain of Custody for Audio and Video Evidence. 

Now listen in with audio and video forensic expert, Ed Primeau, and Sgt. Bill Tilson as they discuss the benefits of body-worn cameras, the issues with storing the video, chain of custody procedures, and federal standards for maintaining the video evidence. Subscribe to receive the latest Blindspot episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

Most recordings that I come across as an audio forensic expert require audio enhancement. This is because they are made in poor conditions and have an abundance of noise. Though there are many ways to reduce the noise floor in a recording, there is no guaranteed method. The noise floor can be defined as a sum of all of the unwanted signals in a sound source. This will include any background noise in an environment such as cars driving by, televisions or radios, or even other people besides the desired person speaking.

When reducing the noise is the best option, there are two common ways to do so; noise reduction processing and filtering or equalization. Both processes have benefits and side effects when used to remove noise from a recording.

The most important thing to remember when removing noise from a recording is that the goal is to enhance or clarify the desired signal. Every audio recording is different, and as an audio forensic expert, it is my job to analyze and process each recording as needed. It takes training and experience to recognize what a recording needs in order to enhance or clarify it effectively.

Now listen in with audio and video forensic expert, Ed Primeau, as he discusses the use of noise reduction in forensic audio enhancements. Subscribe to receive the latest Blindspot episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

Video work product is a way to document forensic investigations, like evidence recovery, for reference at a later date. Processes and procedures are documented using a video camera by a forensic expert during a forensic investigation for future use. I have referred back to my video work product many times during the course of a case when I have questions later in the evolution of the case.

There are a few different digital video recording platforms that I use when creating a ‘video work product’. Each one of these types of systems serves a certain purpose in assisting with a forensic investigation as well as the investigative process.

I personally use the VIEVU LE2 and LE3 body-worn cameras. My main use for this body camera in my investigations is recording my forensic process in the field. This includes retrieving evidence from different systems so I can review the video later and include in my report to support the authenticity of my work product and any evidence used in the case.

Another type of digital video camera that I use to produce video recordings is an HDSLR photography camera. In some investigations, a single video recorded perspective may not be sufficient to display the forensic process or document the events. Having another high-quality camera with the flexibility of perspectives and interchangeable lenses can capture aspects of my investigation that body-worn cameras cannot.

Video evidence produced by CCTV systems can help solve the crime, as well as reproduce accidents and disasters as they occurred for playback in many different settings. Significant use of a video forensic expert has when recording video from a CCTV system is to create an exemplar. This recording is used as a comparison file to the original evidence to help determine the authenticity of the original evidence.

It is a best practice of ours at Primeau Forensics to video record many forensic investigations like the exemplar creation process and evidence recovery so if anyone has any questions during the life of the case, this video work product can be referenced.

Now listen in with audio and video forensic expert, Ed Primeau, as he discusses creating video work product for forensic investigations. Subscribe to receive the latest Blindspot episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

Digital audio evidence can often be one of the most important pieces of evidence for a case, so it should always be given a great deal of attention. I’m going to cover some tips on how to create the best audio recording possible, whether it’s a police interview, a concealed recording, or anything in between.

One of the most common ways people create digital audio evidence is by using digital audio recorders. Law enforcement will often use them for interrogations and confessions, and sometimes even out in the field as a backup for their dashcam or body cam audio. People outside of law enforcement use them for creating audio evidence as well.

Now listen in with audio and video forensic expert, Ed Primeau, as he discusses the best practices for creating digital audio evidence. Subscribe to receive the latest Blindspot episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.

Body-worn cameras, a police officer tool for safety. We believe if there were more statistics available, it would help law enforcement officers decide to implement the use of body-worn cameras in their departments.

We met with Steve Ward is the CEO and founder of VIEVU.  Vievu has since merged with Axon, one of the country’s largest dashcam and body cam manufacturers. Mr. Ward worked as a police officer in Seattle for 13 years, including 6 years on the SWAT team. Afterward, Mr. Ward became the Vice President of Marketing and International Sales for Taser International. He has an MBA from the Edinburgh Business School, a Certificate from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon.

Steve Ward founded VIEVU in 2007, which manufactures high definition, wearable video cameras for law enforcement and private professionals.  These camera systems have become necessary when considering the liability present in law enforcement, and also provide strong evidence for use in court.

Steve Ward is dedicated to making VIEVU cameras the most optimal body cameras for police officers and continues to provide the most updated and cutting edge hardware and software with his cameras.  VIEVU currently provides body cameras to 16 different countries and is one of the leading companies providing body-worn cameras in the United States.

Now listen in with audio and video forensic expert, Ed Primeau, and Steve Ward discuss VIEVU and the growing need for body camera video in law enforcement. Subscribe to receive the latest Blindspot episodes downloaded to your computer or portable device.