Brown Joins SF Police Department Investigation into Evidence Tampering at City Crime Lab

San Francisco—On the heels of troubling allegations of evidence tampering against a former San Francisco Police Department Crime Lab technician, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that his office will provide a team of specialists to assist in a thorough independent audit of the laboratory.

“My office will assist San Francisco police to get to the bottom of these serious evidence-tampering allegations,” Brown said. “It’s critical that we act immediately to get the San Francisco crime lab back in service and restore the public’s trust in our criminal justice system.”

At the request of San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon, crime lab specialists from Brown’s office will assist San Francisco authorities in re-testing of evidence, improving internal controls and taking whatever steps are necessary to return the lab to full operation.

Today’s announcement follows allegations that Deborah Madden, 60, a former San Francisco Police Department Lab technician, jeopardized numerous criminal cases by tampering with police evidence.

The San Francisco Police Department will continue to lead the criminal investigation into Ms. Madden's conduct.