California Department of Justice Crime Labs Re-accredited by National Crime Lab Society

(SACRAMENTO) – Attorney General Bill Lockyer today announced that all 13 of the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Forensic Crime Laboratories have been re-accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB).

ASCLD/LAB accreditation is a voluntary program through which crime labs demonstrate that their management, operations, procedures and instruments, physical plant and security, and personnel safety procedures meet rigorous national standards. The 13 DOJ Crime Labs were first accredited by ASCLD in 1993 and 1994. ASCLD/LAB requires that crime labs submit to an on-site re-accreditation inspection every five years. On July 16, the ASCLD/LAB voted to re-accredit 11 DOJ Crime Labs to join the two DOJ Crime Labs that were re-accredited within the past year.

"Since the accreditation board is made up of Directors of Crime Labs which have achieved accreditation, this evaluation represents the highest level of peer review," said Lockyer. "Law enforcement and criminal justice agencies that we serve rely on the reputation and integrity of our labs. This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to provide the highest quality of forensic science service and increased public safety for Californians."

Ten regional crime labs – Redding, Eureka, Chico, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Central Valley, Fresno, Freedom (Watsonville), Santa Barbara, and Riverside – provide forensic services to all law enforcement agencies in 46 of California's 58 counties where there are no county or police department crime labs. Three DOJ labs – DNA in Berkeley, Latent Prints/Questioned Documents and Toxicology in Sacramento – provide services to law enforcement agencies statewide.