Improving the Quality and Timeliness of Forensic Science in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts State Police Forensic Services Group (MSPFSG) is a state government laboratory dedicated to providing excellence in service through quality forensic science. The Boston Police Department Forensic Technology Division (BPD) and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) together with the MSPPFSG propose the following initiatives to reduce forensic case backlogs, to decrease turnaround time and to provide timelier forensic services. The goal of this proposal it to: 1) Reduce case backlogs; 2) Increase capacity; and 3) train forensic examiners to provide more timely services to our clients. To accomplish these goals, the following initiatives are proposed: 1) Overtime for the OCME staff to return backlogged evidence; 2) Training: To train sworn members of the Forensic Services Group and the Boston Police Department; 2) Equipment: To purchase a laptop for the 3d scanning at crime scenes; 3) Software: To purchase software for the laptop and upgrade the software on the existing laptop to allow for scanning and processing crime scenes. Also to be purchased are NIST traceable target poles and tripods and 4) Contract; to hire temporary technical and administrative employees to complete quality control and administrative tasks, freeing up analysts and examiners to complete case work. The anticipated outcome is that these collective initiatives will decrease the case backlog and turnaround time of forensic examinations at the respective laboratories state-wide while increasing capacity at each agency.

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