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Crime Laboratories

Crime Laboratories. Forensic Science Mr. Glatt 2013-2014. Crime Labs. Nearly Four hundred public crime labs in US More than 3 times that of 1966 Growth due to… Supreme court cases in 1960’s placed more emphasis on police securing scientifically evaluated evidence Increased Crime Rates

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Crime Laboratories

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  1. Crime Laboratories Forensic Science Mr. Glatt 2013-2014

  2. Crime Labs • Nearly Four hundred public crime labs in US • More than 3 times that of 1966 • Growth due to… • Supreme court cases in 1960’s placed more emphasis on police securing scientifically evaluated evidence • Increased Crime Rates • Increased Drug Abuse- All evidence from illicit seizures must be sent to crime Lab for chemical analysis

  3. Crime Lab Challenges • Not enough labs to keep up with needs • DNA Profiling (Fingerprinting)- Major Reason for increased Demand • Technology did not exist prior to early 1990’s • Traces of Blood, Saliva, Hair, Epithelial Tissue (Skin), and Semen backlog crime labs • Over 57,000 unanalyzed case samples • Untested convicted offender samples over 500,000 • Tested samples go to CODIS (National DNA Databank) • Combined DNA Index System • Some states have own Database • CA over 1 million in state database • 3rd Largest in world • Starting in 2008 all people arrested and suspected of felony charges were profiled

  4. Types of Crime Laboratories • Federal Crime Laboratories • FBI Crime Lab (Quanitico Virginia), largest in WORLD • DEA, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives located within • Will offer assistance and expertise to state and local agencies • State and Local Crime Laboratories • State Labs, Most States Have State Lab • Some have statewide system with regional satellite labs • County and Municipal Crime Labs • Some Counties have • Larger Cities, NY city is largest. • Many smaller cities do not have due to cost

  5. Specialty Units With Full Service Crime Laboratories • Biology Unit (Staffed w/ Biologists and Biochemists) • DNA Profiling • Blood Evidence and Other Bodily Fluids • Hair and Fiber Analysis • Plant Materials Such as wood and Plants • Firearms Unit • Ballistics (Bullet and Firearm Analysis) • Gun Powder Residue • Crime Scene Reconstruction (Distance from which weapons are fired) • Document Examination Unit • Handwriting and Typewriter Analysis • Ink and Paper Analysis • Erasures/Depressions

  6. Specialty Units With Full Service Crime Laboratories (continued) • Photography Unit • Examines and records physical evidence through photography • Sometimes advance techniques used (infrared, X-Ray, digital imaging ect…) • Toxicology • Examines Body Fluids and Organs • Detect Presence or absence of drugs and poisons • Evidence may be sent to separate 3rd party facility • Often maintain field instruments such as Intoxilyzer • Fingerprint/Latent Fingerprint Unit • Fingerprint Analysis

  7. Specialty Units With Full Service Crime Laboratories (continued) • Polygraph Unit • Lie Detector • Investigator tool yet not forensic scientist tool • Still kept in crime lab unit though • Voiceprint Analysis Unit • Use sound spectrograph that transforms speech in to visual display called voiceprint • Analyze recorded voice evidence (Tape recorder/phone calls ect…) • Crime Scene Investigation Unit • Collect and preserve physical evidence that is later analyzed at crime lab • Must maintain chain of custody and check evidence in to evidence room

  8. Other Forensic Science Services • Forensic Psychiatry • Used in criminal and civil proceedings • Determine competence • Evaluate behavioral disorders • Forensic Odontology • Id victims in unrecognizable state • Bite mark analysis • Forensic Engineering • Failure analysis (buildings) • Accident reconstruction • Examine, photograph, and review of mechanical objects • Forensic Computer and Digital Analysis • Newest and fastest growing • Identification, collection, preservation, and examination from computers and other digital devices

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