BOISE, Idaho — Police officers are often seen in the community responding to crime, but a lot of what happens on the pathway to justice happens in crime labs. Crime labs help analyze the evidence, applying science to it so that it can be used in investigations and in court.
Last Summer, Boise Police Department's crime lab received international accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) for their work.
“Through that program, we were chosen, as a mentee laboratory" Said Jennifer Delaney, the crime lab supervisor. "So, I got to work with other forensic professionals all over the United States that looked at our Lab system here, what we do, how we could improve it, and basically pave the path for us to obtain accreditation."
Delaney tells Idaho News 6 that Boise's crime lab got great reviews from A2LA.
The lab is accredited in multiple different procedures including biology screening, crime scene investigation, and latent print processing and examination.
All of the processes include identifying and analyzing fingerprints, screening for biological substances, and matching that information in the database, a skill that takes careful effort.
The lab is proud of its accreditation, not just for what it says about the lab but for what it can mean for the citizens of Boise.
“They can know that what we are doing for them is going to stand up in court," said Delaney. "At the end of the day that’s where we’re all headed.”
Idaho News 6 received a tour of BPD's crime lab facility. You can watch the tour here:
