Forensic Science Needs Denied Federal Funding; Crime Labs Warn that Forensic Backlogs Will Only Worsen

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Crime lab directors are pointing out that the President's 2007 Federal Budget left out one important item: money to keep U.S. crime labs and medical examiner offices running effectively. A recent study shows the top 50 crime labs ended the year with an average 134 percent increase in forensic backlogs in processing evidence in criminal cases. While the new budget contains money to be used solely for DNA, it leaves out money to pay for much needed equipment and personnel for other backlogged sectors of a crime lab, including latent fingerprints, controlled substances, toxicology, and firearms/toolmarks testing.

"Criminals are put behind bars with good detective work, and forensic testing - of which DNA is only a part," says Barry Fisher, crime lab director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He emphasized, "Crime labs should have a choice with how they spend federal money to improve their ability to conduct effective forensic work."

Forensic scientists caution that crime labs and medical examiner offices are far from public expectations, which have been created by the popularity of TV crime dramas such as “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “Law & Order.” A crime lab and medical examiner's office's biggest challenge is to keep aging facilities up-to-date with equipment. A Bureau of Justice Statistics study shows that only one in four crime labs has a basic computer to even track forensic evidence.

"Most crime labs and medical examiner offices in our country are located in aging facilities, under-funded, lack equipment, and are not fully staffed, despite what you see on television," says Joseph Polski, chair of the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations. "The Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (www.theCFSO.org) is appalled that the federal government is not trying to correct some of these challenges."

In FY 2006 the President's budget also called for only DNA funding, but Congress modified that budget to provide funding for the other forensic disciplines. Per that provision put in by the Congress, $108.5 million is for DNA and $18.5 million in grants for the Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Act. DNA testing is only a small part of the work of the forensics community. Grants from the Coverdell funding provide crime labs and medical examiner offices the ability to put money where their particular lab has the largest backlog or case log; whether that is DNA or drug analysis is irrelevant. A lab should determine its own needs, not the federal government, crime lab directors say. The bill also included $1.5 million for the National Academy of Science to conduct a study of forensic science. This will be the first objective analysis of the needs of the community. Many studies have been conducted on DNA, but not on forensics as a whole.

The CFSO is an association of six forensic science professional organizations comprised of more than 12,000 forensic science professionals across the United States. Member organizations include: AmericanAcademy of Forensic Sciences; American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors; American Society of Crime Lab Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board; Forensic Quality Services; International Association for Identification; and National Association of Medical Examiners. The mission of the CFSO is to influence public policy at the national level and make a compelling case for greater federal funding for public crime laboratories and medical examiner offices.