NCJ Number
14038
Date Published
1973
Length
113 pages
Annotation
REPORT OF ALABAMA'S DEPARTMENT OF TOXICOLOGY AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION COMPREHENSIVE SELF-STUDY AND CONSEQUENT SYSTEMS APPROACH TO IMPROVING CRIMINALISTICS SERVICES.
Abstract
PRIOR TO THE INCEPTION OF ALABAMA'S DEPARTMENT OF TOXICOLOGY IN 1935, VIRTUALLY NO SERVICES FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CRIME EXISTED IN THAT STATE. AN INCREASED USE OF SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND THE NEED FOR EXPANDED CRIMINALISTICS SERVICES LED, IN 1972, TO A COMPREHENSIVE SELF-STUDY AND THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE STATEWIDE FORENSIC SCIENCE LABORATORY SYSTEM OUTLINED IN THIS REPORT. DEVELOPED UNDER GRANTS FROM LEAA, THE MASTER PLAN PROVIDES FOR A SYSTEM OF TEN REGIONAL CRIME LABORATORIES CAPABLE OF PROCESSING EVIDENCE IN 24 HOURS WITHIN A 30-MILE RADIUS OF THE REQUESTING CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCY. THE MASTER PLAN ALSO CONSIDERS THE ROLE OF THE CRIME LAB IN RELATION TO OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES, AS WELL AS TO THE COMMUNITY. THE REPORT DESCRIBES THE HISTORY WHICH SHAPED THE GROWTH OF THE ALABAMA SYSTEM AND REVIEWS THE EXPERIENCES OF THE LABS NOW IN OPERATION. A NUMBER OF ISSUES RELATING TO EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY, SUCH AS CASELOADS AND THE EFFECTS OF LAB PROXIMITY TO THE CRIME SCENE, ARE EXPLORED. VARIOUS MEANS ARE SUGGESTED FOR IMPROVING THE CURRENT SYSTEM, INCLUDING PROPOSALS FOR COLLECTING DATA ON THE IMPACT OF THE LABORATORY SYSTEM ON CRIME. APPENDED ITEMS INCLUDE A LIST OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS, FIVE YEAR PROJECTIONS FOR BOTH PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT, A PROPOSED RECORDS AND DATA SYSTEM, AND PROPOSED LEGISLATION FOR THE CREATION AND OPERATION OF A DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC SCIENCE. (SNI ABSTRACT)