Crime Laboratory

Description

A crime laboratory, often shortened to crime lab, is a scientific laboratory, using primarily forensic science for the purpose of examining evidence from criminal cases. Crime laboratory, also called forensic laboratory, facility where analyses are performed on evidence generated by crimes or, sometimes, civil infractions. Crime laboratories can investigate physical, chemical, biological, or digital evidence and often employ specialists in a variety of disciplines, including behavioral forensic science, forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, crime-scene investigation, and ballistics. Many crime labs are publicly funded and administered by federal, state or provincial, or local government, although there are a growing number of private labs that specialize in fields such as drug analysis and DNA fingerprinting. England and Wales are among the few places in the world to have exclusively privatized crime labs. In crime laboratories, scientists analyze evidence collected from crime scenes, suspects and victims. They may analyze anything from DNA or fingerprints to human remains or suspicious substances. The identification of firearms and weapon-related evidence has played a critical role in crime investigation throughout the twentieth century. Firearms investigations involve the examination of fired bullets to determine what kind of weapon they were fired from. Examinations can eliminate various firearms until a match between bullet and weapon is made. All pistols, revolvers, and rifles contain "rifling" in the bore, the long protruding part through which a bullet travels. Rifling consists of grooves and markings on the inside surface of the bore. These markings have a right or left twist that varies with each manufacturer. This lab manual provides information and examples for all aspects of crime scene investigation.