NCJ Number
55062
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (FALL 1977) Pages: 147-159
Date Published
1977
Length
13 pages
Annotation
STATE CRIME LABORATORIES WERE SURVEYED WITH REGARD TO SERVICES, CASELOADS, ADMINISTRATORS, WORKER CREDENTIALS, TRAINING OF CRIME SCENE TECHNOLOGISTS, INSTRUMENTS, AND RESEARCH PROCESSES.
Abstract
QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 45 STATES SUPPORTING CRIME LABORATORIES, AND 22 STATES RESPONDED FOR A RETURN RATE OF 49 PERCENT. FORENSIC SPECIALISTS RESPONDING TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE INCLUDED 11 CRIMINALISTS, 1 DOCUMENT EXAMINER, 2 FIREARMS EXAMINERS, 6 CHEMISTS, AND 1 TOXICOLOGIST. NINE STATES SPONSORED AUXILIARY LABORATORY UNITS. SEVERAL LABORATORIES RESTRICTED THEIR CASE WORK TYPES, ENCOURAGING THE USE OF OTHER FACILITIES FOR EXTRANEOUS SPECIALIZATION. TWO LABORATORIES WERE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. SOME LABORATORIES WERE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THEMSELVES OR WERE ASSOCIATED ADMINISTRATIVELY WITH ANOTHER POLICE AGENCY. ELEVEN LABORATORY ADMINISTRATORS FELT THAT A MASTER'S DEGREE WAS OPTIMAL. THE AGE RANGE OF ADMINISTRATORS WAS FROM 28 TO 65 YEARS. SPECIALTY DETERMINED LENGTH OF TIME SPENT BY LABORATORY PERSONNEL IN ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. THIS TRAINING, ALONG WITH ABILITY AND MATURITY, RELATED TO THE LENGTH OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED PRIOR TO TESTIFYING AS AN EXPERT WITNESS. CRIME SCENE TECHNOLOGIST INFORMATION REVEALED THAT POLICE OFFICERS GENERALLY HANDLED THE MAJORITY OF CRIME SCENE WORK TOTALLY OUTSIDE THE CRIME LABORATORY. CRIME SCENE TECHNICIANS WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE PREVIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE BEFORE RECEIVING ON-THE-JOB TRAINING BY LABORATORY AND FIELD SPECIALISTS. GENERALLY TECHNICIANS WERE TRAINED IN PHOTOGRAPHY, SKETCHING, LATENT PRINT RECOVERY, AND EVIDENCE RECOVERY TECHNIQUES. EIGHTEEN LABORATORIES REPORTED THAT NO RESEARCH OR VERY LITTLE RESEARCH WAS EVER PERFORMED. THE ABSENCE OF UNIFORMITY IN REPORTING PROCEDURES DEMONSTRATED THE PROBLEM OF CRIME LABORATORY RESEARCH. THE GREATEST LIABILITY OF THE LABORATORIES PERTAINED TO THE QUALIFICATIONS OF FORENSIC SCIENTISTS, RAISING THE ISSUE OF THE ADEQUACY OF THE INVESTIGATIVE ASPECT IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND CRIME LABORATORIES. STANDARDS PROMULGATED BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENTISTS FOR CRIME LABORATORIES ARE DISCUSSED. REFERENCES AND THE CRIME LABORATORY QUESTIONNAIRE ARE INCLUDED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)