2. Crime lab development  Once started, development of crime labs around the country was rapid.  There was a lack of national and regional planning and coordination.  Crime labs operate at various levels of the government – federal, state, county, and municipal.

3. Crime Lab Model  Impossible to select just one model because the size and diversity of the labs.  The majority function as part of a police department.  They can be under  Prosecutors or District Attorney’s office  Coroner or Medical Examiner’s office  Universities (a few)

4. Size of Lab  Labs range from 1 person to more than 100  Services may be diverse or specialized  Depends on the responsibilities for the agency in charge.  Generally the labs are organized by the agencies who foresaw the need as an adjunct to criminal investigations.

5. Unparalleled Growth  Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s were responsible for the police placing greater emphasis on securing scientifically evaluated evidence.

6. Miranda Rights  The requirement to advise criminal suspects of their constitutional rights and their right to have immediate access to counsel has essentially eliminated seeking confessions as a routine investigative tool.  Now cases require a thorough and professional police investigation frequently incorporating the skills of forensic science experts.

7. Increase in crime rates  This alone does not account for the growth because only a small percentage of investigations generate evidence requiring scientific examination.

8. Drug-related arrests  All illicit drug seizures must be sent to a forensic lab for confirmatory chemical analysis before the case can be adjudicated in court.  Because of the acceleration of drug abuse, crime labs are inundated with drug specimens.

9. Advent of DNA profiling  Since the 1990s technology has progressed to where traces of bloodstains, semen stains, hair, and saliva residues left behind on stamps, bite marks, etc. can be used to individualize biological evidence.

10. Demand increases  As demand for crime labs increases due to drug seizures and DNA profiling, the staff requirements increase as well.  While there are far more drug cases, the labor-intensive and sophisticated technology required by DNA testing has drastically affected the structure of labs.

11. Variety of lab types  The organization of labs mirrors the fragmented law enforcement structure that exists on the national, state, and local levels.

12. Federal Labs  There are four major federal crime labs.  FBI  DEA  ATF  US Postal Inspection Service  Their purpose is to assist in the investigation and enforcement of criminal laws that extend beyond the jurisdictional boundaries of state and local authorities.

13. Federal Labs  Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  Is part of the Department of Justice  Maintains the largest crime laboratory in the world  Has two main areas of emphasis – National Security priorities and Criminal priorities

14. FBI & National Security  Terrorism  International terrorism  Domestic terrorism  Weapons of mass destruction  Counter-Intelligence  Counterespionage  Counterproliferation  Economic espionage

15. FBI & National Security  Cyber crime  Computer intrusions  On-line predators  Piracy/intellectual property theft  Internet fraud  Identity theft

16. FBI & Criminal priorities  Public Corruption  Government fraud  Election fraud  Foreign corrupt practices  Civil Rights  Hate crimes  Human trafficking  Color of law  Freedom of access to clinics

17. FBI & Criminal Priorities  Organized Crime  Italian Mafia  Eurasian  Balkan  Middle Eastern  Asian  African  Sports Bribery

18. FBI & Criminal Priorities  White-Collar Crime  Antitrust  Bankruptcy Fraud  Corporate/Securities Fraud  Health Care Fraud  Insurance Fraud  Mass Marketing Fraud  Money Laundering  Mortgage Fraud

19. FBI & Criminal Priorities  Violent Crime and Major Thefts  Art Theft  Bank Robbery  Cargo Theft  Crimes against Children  Cruise Ship Crime  Gangs  Indian Country Crime  Jewelry and gem theft  Retail theft  Vehicle theft

20. Drug Enforcement Agency Labs  The DEA is also part of Department of Justice  It is responsible for the analysis of drugs seized in violation of federal laws.  It is also responsible for regulating the production, sale, and transportation of drugs.

21. Bureau of ATF & E lab  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives laboratory is also part of the Department of Justice.  It is responsible for:  analyzing alcoholic beverages  Documents relating to tax law enforcement  Examining weapons, explosive devices, and related evidence

22. US Postal Inspection Service Lab  Responsible for criminal investigations relating to the postal service.

23. Federal Labs  Each of the four federal labs will offer its expertise to any local agency that requests its help in relevant investigative matters.

24. State Crime Labs  Most state governments maintain a crime lab to service state and local law enforcement agencies that do not have ready access to a laboratory.  Some states have developed a comprehensive statewide system of regional or satellite labs.  These labs operate under the direction of a central facility and provide services to most areas of the state.

25. Regional Labs  The concept of a regional lab operating as part of a statewide system has successfully increased the accessibility of many local law enforcement agencies to a crime lab.

26. Local labs  Provide services to county and municipal agencies.  Generally operate independently of the state crime lab.  Financed by local government.

27. Current  As costs have risen, some counties combine resources and create mulitcounty labs.  Frequently high population and high crime rate locations combine to make a municipal facility.  Most countries in the world have created and now maintain, forensic facilities.