The FBI has approved changes to the Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories and Quality Assurance Standards for DNA Databasing Laboratories. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2025. Your organization can prepare by reviewing pre-issuance copies as well as the
ISO/IEC 17025 vs. ISO/IEC 17020: What Each Standard Offers Labs
There is a growing trend of forensic organizations becoming accredited. This trend is for a variety of reasons, including state requirements, a means for receiving grants, or an organization’s desire to demonstrate that the work they perform is repeatable, reliable, defensible, and performed by
Interpreting the Language of ISO/IEC 17025
When seeking accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, a logical first step would be to read the standard and perform a gap analysis identifying which areas of the standard your organization may need to develop and implement. However, despite the best efforts of its authors, the standard isn’t exactly an easy
Accreditation Case Study: Montana Department of Justice Forensic Science Division
The Montana Department of Justice’s Forensic Science Division is the only forensic laboratory in the state with facilities in Missoula and Billings. With about 40 scientists, the division serves law enforcement agencies throughout the state along with the medical examiner’s office. The laboratory
Accreditation Case Study: Central Ohio Regional Crime Laboratory
When officials in Licking County, OH wanted to open a forensic laboratory in 2018, forensic scientist Mark Hiatt stepped up to take on the challenge. Along with help from several local public safety agencies and other colleagues, Hiatt started the Central Ohio Regional Crime Laboratory. The lab is
Accreditation Case Study: King County Regional AFIS
The King County Regional Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) in Seattle, Washington is a public program that offers fingerprint identification services, as well as other forensic collection services, to criminal justice agencies throughout the county. While they have been accredited
ISO/IEC 17025 Identified as an Approved Forensic Standard by the OSAC
A2LA Today l December 2016 l Number 133 By Karin Athanas, Government and Regulatory Affairs Manager The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), a forensic organization administered by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has recently completed its review of the ISO/IEC