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Introduction to Forensic Science
CRIME LABS
First Crime Lab
• Lyons, France – created by Locard
• Edmond Locard – educated in medicine and law
• Began one of the first police crime labs in an attic
with two assistants
• Scientific method – Locard was the first to use
the scientific method in criminal investigation
• Tools available to Locard
– Microscope
– Spectrometer
• Locard – founder/director of Institute of
Criminalistics – University of Lyons – a leading
international forensic science research Institute
Development of Crime Labs in the US
• Rapid Growth – 3 times as many labs
now as in 1966
– Increase in crime
– Changing judicial requirements
– Huge drug crime increase *This is the
single most important factor in the increase
of forensic services for drug analyses.
Development of Crime Labs in the US
• There’s been a serious lack of national and
regional planning and coordination as new
labs are established quickly to meet rising
demand.
• Current statistics - 320 federal, state,
county, regional, and municipal crime labs
in the US
Models of Crime Labs
• Police Agency Labs
• Prosecutor or
Defense Attorney
Labs
• Combination
Coroner/Medical
Examiner Crime
Labs
Four Major Federal Crime Labs
– FBI – world’s largest crime lab
• Organized in 1932-J.Edgar Hoover
• Performs 1 million exams annually
– DEA - Drug Enforcement
Administration Laboratories
– Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms
– U.S. Postal Inspection Services
Comprehensive State Crime Labs
• Comprehensive state crime labs have
regional or satellite laboratories
• Increases accessibility of services to
local law enforcement
• Minimizes duplication of services
• Assures maximum inter-laboratory
sharing of equipment and expertise.
Local Crime Labs
• Provide services to counties and
municipal agencies
• Operate independently of state labs
• Financed by local government
• To cut costs, some counties are joining
forces to create multi-county labs
Crime Lab Services
There is quite a bit of variation in the
types of services each lab provides due
to:
• Variations in local law
• Capabilities and functions of the
organization with which the crime lab
is affiliated
• Budget and staffing limitations
Basic Services at
Full Service Crime Labs
• Basic Services
• Physical Science – the application of
chemistry, physics, and geology to
identify and compare crime scene
evidence
• Biology – identification and typing of
bloodstains and other body fluids is done
by biologists and serologists
• Firearms – examination of firearms,
ammunition, and clothing and other
objects that may have residue present due
to firearm discharge
Basic Services at
Full Service Crime Labs
• Document Examination –
handwriting and typewriting
analysis for authenticity and/or
source; also analysis of ink and
paper
• Photography – examines and
records physical evidence using
infrared, ultraviolet, and x-ray
photography
Optional Services at
Full Service Crime Labs
– Toxicology – examination of body fluids
and organs to determine the presence of
drugs and/or poisons
– Latent Fingerprint – processing and
examination of latent prints
– Polygraph – lie detector
Optional Services at
Full Service Crime Labs
– Voiceprint Analysis – the use of a visual
graphic (voiceprint) to analyze tape
recorded or telephoned threats
– Evidence Collection – the use of a group
of specially trained personnel to collect
and preserve physical evidence
Other Forensic Science Services
Thomas Noguchi – Pathologist on
Marilyn Monroe Case
• Pathology – the investigation of sudden,
unnatural, or violent death
• Anthropology – the identification of human
skeletal remains
• Entomology – the study of insects and their
relationship to a criminal investigation
Other Forensic Science Services
• Psychiatry – the relationship between
human behavior and crime
• Odontology – the study of teeth, jaws,
cranio-facial bones, and bite marks; used in
identification
• Engineering – the study of failure
analysis, accident reconstruction, and the
origins of fires and explosions
Training of Crime Lab Personnel
• Evidence Technicians – specially trained
personnel who are trained by laboratory
staff to collect and preserve physical
evidence.
• Many police agencies have not yet adopted
this approach. Many patrol officers and
detectives find themselves ill prepared to
collect and preserve evidence.
California Crime Lab History
• LAPD – the oldest forensic laboratory in the U.S.
– Created by August Vollmer, Berkeley Police Chief
– Vollmer later headed the first U.S. University
Institute for Criminology and Criminalistics at U.C.
Berkeley
• 1972 – California Dept. of Justice began to create
a network of state-operated crime labs.
– Integrated forensic laboratories, both regional and
satellite labs
– Informal exchange between California Criminalists
– Organizations - California Assoc. of Criminalists
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
• Nationally Accredited
• Responsible for the collection, comparison
and interpretation of physical evidence found
at crime scenes or collected from suspects
and victims
• Analysis of various types of evidence may
connect a suspect to a crime, associate
particular items to a specific source or
determine the circumstances surrounding an
event.
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
• Criminalistics Laboratory
• Forensic Analysis
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Questioned Documents
Serology/DNA Unit
Trace Analysis Unit
Special Testing Unit
Firearms Analysis Unit
Field Unit
Forensic Photography
Forensic Accident Investigation Team
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
• Scientific Analysis
– Narcotics Analysis Unit
– Toxicology Unit
– Blood Alcohol Unit
– Surveyor
– Hazardous Chemical Team
– Composite Artist
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
• Technical Laboratory
– Latent Prints Unit
– Conducts investigations for all types of
crime scenes including burglaries, stolen
vehicles, rapes, and murders.
– 78 Forensic Print Specialists assigned to
the unit with varying levels of expertise
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
Technical Laboratory
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Latent Prints Unit Field responsibilities:
i. Processing crime scenes
ii. Fingerprinting dead bodies
iii. Taking plaster casts or inked impressions of
footprints, shoe prints, and tire tracks
– iv. Use of AFIS to obtain possible matches
– v. Manual comparison of suspect and victim
finger and palm prints to crime scene prints
– vi. Testify in court as to their findings.
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
Photographic Unit
• Field unit - Responsible for documenting crime
scenes and their follow-up investigations.
• Color Unit - Responsible for the development
and printing of film exposed by the Field Unit and
other Department personnel.
• Office Unit - Management of the eight million
negatives on file
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
• Polygraph Unit - administers polygraph
examinations to suspects, victims, and witnesses
involved in Department investigations, and to
Department personnel seeking a voluntary
assignment to a specialized unit.
• Electronics Unit - provides electronic support
services for the Department, such as technical
investigative support utilizing electronic surveillance
devices.
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
Electronics Unit
• Provides audio and video tape reproductions and
repairs
• Maintain and repairs recording equipment
• Audio and video enhancement
• Technical security debugging for police and city
officials
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
• Services these divisions provide:
• Gathering, preserving and evaluating
evidence seized pursuant to criminal
investigations
• Determining the presence of alcohol and the
identification of controlled substances
• Arranging for the destruction of hazardous
chemicals and controlled substances
LAPD-Scientific
Investigation Division
Services these divisions provide:
– Performing polygraph exams of
suspects, victims, department
employees and applicants
– Producing scaled and composite
drawings
– Conducting video and audio
surveillance
– Presenting expert testimony in court
Proposed Regional Forensic
Science Center
• 40% of California crimes occur in LA
County
• LAPD and LASD have little lab space
• Proposed solution – cooperative partnership
between CSULA, LASD, LAPD, and the
California Dept. of Justice – Bureau of
Forensic Science
Proposed Regional Forensic
Science Center
• Multi-use building on CSULA campus
• Improved delivery of forensic services to
LAPD and LASD
• Offering Distance Learning and Continuing
Education Programs for Police and Forensic
Scientists statewide
• Master Degree in Criminalistics
• Ballot Measure Rejected by Slim Margin
Canada’s Crime Labs
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Regional Labs – six regional labs
• Centre of Forensic Sciences – Toronto
• Institute of Legal Medicine and Police
Science - Montreal
British Crime Labs
• National system of regional laboratories
• England and Wales – have six regional
labs including Metropolitan Police
Laboratory in London
• 1990s – each police agency is charged a
fee for lab services. This system should
improve efficiency and accountability.