After a hiatus of almost three years, the forensic crime lab in Washington, D.C., has successfully regained accreditation, allowing it to resume processing evidence. The lab’s biology section, responsible for DNA processing, and the chemistry lab, tasked with testing drugs, have both been reaccredited. The anticipated announcement of this achievement by the National Accreditation Board is expected to occur in the coming week.
The news of the lab’s regained accreditation was initially reported by Mark Segraves on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend. The restoration of accreditation comes after a tumultuous period for the lab in 2021 when it became the focus of a criminal investigation. Reports surfaced regarding errors within the lab’s firearms and fingerprint sections, coupled with allegations of mismanagement and cover-ups.
While the biology and chemistry labs have successfully addressed the issues leading to the loss of accreditation, the status of the firearms unit remains unclear. It is uncertain when the firearms unit might regain its accreditation. The challenges faced by the lab underscore the importance of maintaining high standards in forensic facilities to ensure the reliability of evidence processing in criminal investigations.