Crime Laboratories Forensic Science Mr. Glatt 2013-2014.

Presentation on theme: "Crime Laboratories Forensic Science Mr. Glatt 2013-2014."— Presentation transcript:

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 » 3 rd 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 3 rd 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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