The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the National Opioid and Emerging Drug Threats Policy and Practice Forum on July 18-19, 2019 in Washington, D.C. The forum took place at the Marriott Metro Center.
This NIJ Policy and Practice Forum built off the momentum of the widespread stakeholder meetings convened to discuss the drug threats and the consequences of this national epidemic on the public safety and health and the criminal justice response. This forum disseminated topics at a policy level that are being discussed in more focused and often closed forums and paid particular attention to addressing Best Practices for Forensic Laboratories.
This forum promoted cooperative initiatives to leverage available funding as efficiently as possible; identified and promoted scientific research, best practices and lessons learned for forensic science organizations and practitioners; assessed strategies to improve surveillance methodologies to encourage use and collaboration of existing programs, such as the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program, National Forensic Laboratory Information System, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, and Centers for Disease Control Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance program; and identified strategies for workforce development, casework efficiency, and related issues related to increased caseloads in forensic science organizations.