Department of Criminology and Criminalistics

Dear Colleagues, Students, and Friends of the Department,on the occasion of Christmas, we extend our warmest wishes for peace, joy, and the warmth that comes from spending time with loved ones. May this special time be an opportunity for rest, reflection, and renewed energy. In the coming New Year, we wish you good health, prosperity, and the fulfilment of all plans—both professional and personal. May each day bring satisfaction and good news!

Today, on 08 January 2026, a meeting organised by the Student Research Club Vestigium was held with officers of the Prevention Unit of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Olsztyn. It was a unique opportunity to learn about the realities of police service, the scope of preventive activities, and the practical aspects of police work. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, gain insight into the daily duties of police officers, and learn about the challenges faced by the Police in the contemporary world. We would like to thank our guests for an engaging meeting and all participants for their active involvement and commitment.

We are pleased to inform that the Chair of Criminology and Criminalistics at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn has received official letters of appreciation from the Municipal Police Commander in Olsztyn for the cooperation, exchange of experience, and joint initiatives carried out with police officers.Particular appreciation was expressed for the didactic and practical classes devoted to the use of modern technologies in criminalistics, including the presentation of a 3D scanner and the opportunity for officers to become familiar with the potential of spatial technologies in documenting procedural activities. Words of recognition were also addressed to the engagement of students and the Student Scientific Circle of Criminalistics “Na Tropie” in the organisation of the meetings. We thank you for your trust and look forward to further fruitful cooperation between the academic community and uniformed services.

We are pleased to announce that our colleague Denis Solodov (Poland), has received a nomination from the Editorial Board of Gazeta Olsztyńska for the prestigious Personality of the Year 2025 title in the Science category. The Chapter recognized D. Solodov’s contribution to the development of science, in particular for the project “Establishing Networks to Implement the Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations (IMPLEMENDEZ)”, which focuses on the implementation of the Mendez Principles in Poland and other countries. The Personality of the Year plebiscite honours individuals whose scientific activity and innovative achievements have a significant impact on the development of knowledge and social life. Winners of the regional stage advance to the nationwide final, which culminates in a ceremonial gala in Warsaw. More information about the plebiscite is available at: https://www.gazetaolsztynska.pl/osobowosc (in Polish)

Olsztyn forensic technicians were invited to the Criminology and Forensic Science Laboratory operating within the Department of Criminology and Forensic Science at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn to test the capabilities of a modern 3D scanner. The visit to the university represents another step in the developing cooperation between Police officers and the academic community. This is yet another meeting within the framework of this collaboration — a week earlier, the Head of the Forensic Technology Division of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Olsztyn, Sub-commissioner Tobiasz Wiśniewski, conducted classes for students belonging to the Forensic Science Student Research Group “Na Tropie.” This time, the team from the Forensic Technology Division of the Olsztyn Municipal Police Headquarters took part in demonstration workshops. During the meeting, the officers had the opportunity to explore the possibilities of using a 3D scanner for three-dimensional reconstruction of a crime scene. The device enables the creation of an almost perfect spatial model of the location where the examination is conducted. On such a model, forensic technicians and investigators can add information and visualizations related to the recovered forensic traces — including body position, bloodstains, the arrangement of objects, and footwear or fingerprint impressions. New tools, along with cooperation between academic and police communities, pave the way for developing modern methods of crime scene work, increasing the effectiveness of evidence preservation and interpretation. A post with information about the event has been published on the website of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Olsztyn.

The Head of the Forensic Technology Division of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Olsztyn, Sub-commissioner Tobiasz Wiśniewski, visited a meeting of the Forensic Science Student Research Group “Na Tropie”, created by students of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The meeting was dedicated to issues related to conducting crime-scene examinations. The students had the opportunity—under controlled conditions—to observe and practically test what activities are carried out during a crime-scene inspection. Participants learned how extensive knowledge, manual precision, and experience are essential to properly reveal and secure traces left by a perpetrator. Sub-commissioner Tobiasz Wiśniewski shared his many years of experience and presented the practical aspects of the work of a forensic technician. A post about the event has been published on the website of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Olsztyn (in Polish)

We warmly invite all interested individuals to the next meeting of the Forensic Science Student Research Club “Na tropie”, which will take place on 26 November 2025 (Wednesday) at 4:45 PM in room D2.01. The guest of the meeting will be our former student and long-time President of the Forensic Science Research Club (!), Sub-commissioner Tobiasz Wiśniewski, head of the Forensic Technology Section of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Olsztyn. Topic of the meeting: Organization and tactics of crime-scene examination in rape-related cases.

 An interview with Dr. habil. Piotr Chlebowicz, professor at UWM, has been published on the University’s website, titled “Acts of sabotage are a new level of aggression in hybrid warfare.” An excerpt from the interview: “The acts of sabotage that have occurred in Poland in recent days prove that classical intelligence activities — based on gathering information — are transforming into hybrid actions. Prof. Piotr Chlebowicz from the Faculty of Law and Administration of UWM, author of the innovative scholarly book ‘Espionage. A Criminological Study’, discusses the thin line between espionage and terrorism.”  

As part of the Training and Integration Days of ELSA Olsztyn #OlsztyńskiCHILL, members of the student Forensic Science Research Club “Na tropie” Julia Liszewska and Kacper Miler (Law, stationary, 4th year) delivered a lecture on one of the most famous early 20th-century criminal cases from this region – the murder of Major Schönebeck. The case was being analyzed in the context of the possibilities offered by modern forensic science, current knowledge in the field of forensic psychology, and criminalistic tactics. Students considered what might have happened in this case if… The lecture tooke place on 13 November 2025 at 5:30 PM in the Citrus Hall of the Conference Center

We cordially invite you to a special lecture featuring Mr. Tomasz Godzina, retired aspirant of the Fire Service, an experienced technical diving instructor, and a specialist in underwater rescue and search operations. Mr. Godzina will share his extensive experience in underwater search missions for bodies, objects, and missing persons. During his talk, he will also discuss the tasks of the Fire Service in cooperation with the Police and the coordination of rescue services at the scene of body recovery from water. The lecturer has been training GROM special forces soldiers, police officers, and firefighters for many years and has participated in diving teams that have set world records in technical diving. Date: November 12, 2025 Time: 4:45 PM Venue: Blue Auditorium (Aula Błękitna). The lecture will last approximately 45 minutes. Organizer and moderator: Dr. Aleksandra Nowak