During a re-accreditation attempt by the Houston PD crime lab with ASCLD-LAB (Association of Crime Laboratory Directors — Laboratory Accreditation Board), the external auditors found problems:
The department said it identified several problems including insufficient staffing, lack of proper supervisory review, inadequate quality control/quality assurance protocols, technical competence inconsistent with industry standards, insufficient training and inadequate standard operating procedures.
The BEST part of the article is Chief Hurtt’s response:
“The results of the technical audit were mixed. On the plus side, there were no erroneous identifications,” Hurtt said.
Talk about finding the silver-lining. The point is though that this is what happens when the public expects too much out of too few. No one wants to pay the bill for the proper number of properly trained/qualified examiners, but everyone expects instant 100% accurate results — just like on TV!
Read the Officer.com article here.
