The Madison Crime Laboratory

The FBI houses numerous units. The first unit being the Latent Print Unit (LPU). The LPU “examines and compares friction ridge detail of latent prints using the Automated Fingerprint

When people usually hear the word forensics they usually automatically visualize crime scenes filled with things that can vary from blood, bullets, fingerprints ect. Unfortunately, it is not as cut and dry as you think, you're only seeing a small piece of the picture. The subject of forensics itself is very broad and actually involves a variety of different sciences all mixed together including, biology, chemistry, genetics, toxicology, phonetics, medicine, engineering, anthropology and many more. It is one of the fields of law enforcement, were technology and crime-solving all come together as one. Gathering the information needed to figure out what happened and the methods used to connect pieces of evidence to the crime scene were also not

The los angeles police department chief office founded the first crime laboratory in the United States in the year of 1923 crime labs may be publicly or privately operated, although private laboratories typically do not respond to crime scenes to collect evidence. Public crime labs are organized at the city, county, state, or national level. A law enforcement agency that does not operate its own crime lab usually has free access to a higher level laboratory for analysis of their evidence. most states have their own crime labs, for instance Oklahoma has the OSBI, many other places have smaller yet still sufficient crime labs.

crime scene could be analyzed and compared with a sample from a suspect. A match could place

The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory was developed to provide the highest quality of professional forensic services to the State of Louisiana. The commitment of the agency includes applying sound scientific principles in all analyses, being responsive to our customers, conducting our operations in a fair and objective manner, and being a leader in advancing forensic science. The mission of the laboratory is to assist all of the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in Louisiana in the investigation of criminal activity (Office of Public Safety Services, 2015). The agency is also committed to providing accurate and timely scientific analysis of items of physical evidence and reporting the results of those analyses to appropriate entities in the criminal justice community.

Tashanna N Garcia is currently enrolled in the Masters of Criminal Justice, with a concentration in Forensic Science, program at Saint Leo University. Tashanna comes from a military background where she served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Her military training was essential to her transition into law enforcement, where she spent the last ten years working for two police departments as a patrol officer and then for the Alabama Department of Public Safety as a Traffic Homicide Investigator for the State Troopers. Tashanna hopes to return to the law enforcement field in an administrative capacity and has a passion for forensic disciplines. Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Tashanna N Garcia,

In all of the United States, and maybe all of the world, there is no greater forensic team. Solving seemingly impossible cases, and cases that are not as they seem, the team baffles other leading labs and stuns juries. There is no case that is too difficult for this extraordinary team to solve, no challenge too great.

Investigators search witness and police intelligence reports for possible leads and suspects. The physical evidence, taggants, or micro particles left behind at the crime scene, is analyzed at a forensics laboratory in order to trace it back to a specific business or individual. The information gleaned from witnesses, reports, and evidence, often lead to the identification and arrest of the

1)      Visit the FBI website at www.fbi.gov and search for the crime laboratory. What services are provided to law enforcement by the lab?

I recognized contamination of any exhibit handled by the FIU is a major issue to all investigations, and could create court issues concerning FIU training, policy and procedure, as well as member credibility when testifying in court. I immediately investigated the causes of potential DNA exhibit contamination in relation to the collection, processing and retention of evidence. I worked collaboratively with subject matter experts to review all reports, processes, training, products and facilities to ensure best practice and supplies were being utilized, and if not, to make necessary improvements.

Dr. Erin Watson is a woman who wants to be best in whatever she does. She is a determined person, always working to achieve what she wants. She’s a person who moved to Louisiana from Seattle just for her graduate studies. There is nothing that can stop her. “I never wanted to be a lab technician in the crime lab, I wanted to be the expert” she says, but has worked with many state and federal agencies like the FBI. She sternly says, “Forensic science is a science, not the drama on Television. . . many students have the misconception that a forensic scientist does only the things shown on the TV . . .but it is rather different and complex.”

Students and faculty are already reaping the benefits of additional work and study space. The lab is adorned with a rare blend of welcoming, ergonomic furniture and boasts a wide variety of high-tech gadgetry and equipment, including a DNA sequencer, inverted microscopes, a scanning electron microscope, and numerous kits for evidence collection and drug analysis. Specific areas have been reserved for disciplines such as Drugs & Toxicology, DNA Analysis, Forensic Biology, and Forensic Microscopy. There is also an area for collecting and processing evidence.

Forensic science is defined as the practice of utilizing scientific methodologies to clarify judicial inquiries. The field of forensic science contains a broad range of disciplines and has become a vital aspect of criminal investigations. Some forensic disciplines are laboratory-based; while others are based on an analyst’s interpretation of observable patterns (Kourtsounis, 2009). According to the Innocence project’s website; in greater than fifty percent of wrongful convictions, the use of invalidated or improper forensic techniques played a role in cases; which were later

A segment of the Forensic Science in the Criminal equity organization that the vast majority acquainted with these days, however, few individuals know how this particular science came to be. Overall, legal science is intended to utilize experimental standards to clarify obscure parts of a wrongdoing. Through the utilization of uncommon tests and lab gear that permits researchers to recognize decisively different parts of a bit of confirmation in an illegal behavior. On the off chance that you occupied with finding out about how this procedure came to fruition, you have to peruse the recorded data underneath. Here is a brief history

Today, more than ever, the quality of evidence in criminal cases is scrutinized because of contamination. Contamination is the introduction of something that physically corrupts a substance at a crime scene that was not previously there; it comes in many forms and most often times comes from the humans who investigate a crime scene. It is imperative that prevention of cross-contamination is implemented when gathering evidence. Several of the more sensitive forensic techniques such as trace analysis, bloodspatter interpretation, and DNA comparison are not being used to their fullest potential. Items of physical crime scene evidence are not always visible to the naked eye and may be easily overlooked so deliberate and methodical approach to collection and preservation of evidence is essential. Prosecutors have lost cases due to crime scene contamination; this could be prevented by simple and productive behaviors. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a leading case on physical evidence, stated: