Entire State Forensic Lab System Receives Accreditation

A national forensic science accrediting agency has conferred accreditation to the entire Massachusetts State Police Forensic Services Group, nine facilities across the state that collect and analyze forensic evidence in criminal cases. The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the State Police said the accreditation represents a "gold standard" for forensic laboratories, and provides assurance to the public that the analysis of forensic evidence done at the State Police facilities meets the highest standards in the field.

To achieve the accreditation, the State Police Forensic Services Group voluntarily undertook a rigorous process to satisfy more than 150 criteria. Furthermore, the labs underwent an external, independent review of their scientific and operational procedures. The accreditation was conferred by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board. A member of that organization, Jami J. St. Clair, joined Secretary of Public Safety Kevin M. Burke and Colonel Mark F. Delaney, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, at a ceremony last week at the state's Forensic and Technology Center in Maynard to mark the achievement.

"Two years ago the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab was in a state of crisis. Our science was good but our management structures were not," Secretary Burke said. "We've made substantial progress in a very short period of time. ASCLD Laboratory Accreditation is our validation."

Added Colonel Delaney: "Reliable and timely forensic testing of criminal evidence has become the foundation of our criminal justice system's ability to deliver justice to the guilty and exonerate the innocent. The national accreditation of the State Police Forensic Services crime laboratories ensures that the people of the Commonwealth will continue to receive the highest levels of service available from the forensic sciences."

The State Police Forensic Services Group's nine facilities are located regionally across the state. Many of the facilities are multi-disciplinary, offering services including crime scene evidence collection and preservation, DNA analysis, latent print comparisons and ballistics examinations. No matter which MSP forensic facility performs examinations, a quality system is in place that ensures consistent testing and reporting by examiners.