Crime Labs Flashcards
When and by Who was the national laboratory organized?
1932- FBI ➡️under directorship J Edgar Hoover
Offered frantic services to all law enforcement agencies in the country
Basic services of a crime lab
➡️ physical science- chemistry, physics
-have a staff of chemists and physicists -do a lot of analytical work
➡️ Biology unit-does all blood, hair and DNA test
-have staff of biologists or biochemists
➡️ firearms unit
➡️documents/photos
FBI crime lab
1932
Early stages staffing➡️ business people, manufacturers, scientists
Largest in world
1981➡️ developed forensic science research and training center
Reasons for growth in crime labs
➡️Supreme Court decision 1960- put greater emphasis on scientific evidence
➡️requirement to advise criminal suspects of constitutional rights and access to lawyer
➡️thorough and professional investigation
➡️crime rates since 1960 increase
➡️drug arrests- all evidence goes to crime lab
➡️1990 labs and DNA
Four major forensics labs
➡️largest– FBI (department of justice reports to attorney general)
➡️DEA (reports to department of justice) manufacture, sale and distribution
➡️ATF (report to DOJ)
Gun control act of 1968
➡️USPS- (doesn’t report to DOJ)
Development of crime laboratories
Characterized by rapid growth accompanied by a lack of national and regional planning and coordination
350+ forensic labs now
(3x as many as 1966)
Crime labs
Most function as part of police department
Some operate under :
➡️prosecutor or DA’s office
➡️medical examiner
➡️coroner
Analysis of evidence
3 major avenues in solving crimes
➡️confessions
➡️eye witnesses ( from Vic or witness)
➡️evaluation of physical evidence gathered at crime scene
Oldest crime lab
LAPD 1923
Optional services in lab
➡️toxicology - poisons
➡️latent fingerprints - invisible fingerprints (dust to see)
➡️voice print (picture of what voice looks like)
➡️CSI unit
