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Forensic LAB !!!

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(@jegham)
Posts: 40
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Greetings,

Does a forensic lab has to be accredited by the law ?

If yes How ? and what are the exact specifications ?

 
Posted : 28/05/2008 1:01 am
keydet89
(@keydet89)
Posts: 3568
Famed Member
 

A quick search on Google indicates that some forensics labs are accredited…but you'd have to check with those labs and determine if this is a requirement or not.

 
Posted : 28/05/2008 3:17 am
(@seanmcl)
Posts: 700
Honorable Member
 

The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors created the independent Laboratory Accreditation Board which accredits laboratories which provide services to the criminal justice system.

http//www.ascld-lab.org/

If you read their by-laws and other documentation, it appears that they accredit all types of crime laboratories including, but not limited to, DNA testing and computer forensics.

One such accredited facility is the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory

http//www.harcfl.org/

Which is a LLC partnering various regional law enforcement agencies and the FBI. Although this agency does accredit private laboratories, I am unaware of any private computer forensics laboratories that they accredit.

 
Posted : 28/05/2008 7:41 pm
(@chstonewall)
Posts: 3
New Member
 

Greetings,

Labs do not have to be accredited under Federal law.

You would have to check your state law for local requirements. In Alaska for example, there is no requirements for accreditation or licensing or regulating for that matter.

Howard

 
Posted : 28/05/2008 8:25 pm
(@kathanas)
Posts: 4
New Member
 

Greetings,

Howard is correct, you will need to check with your state requirements.

With the release of the National Academy of Sciences report in early 2009 recommending mandatory accreditation for forensic organizations, a few states have either made it mandatory or are working on legislation to do just that.

The federal government has not made it mandatory and many feel they won't. I was at the AAFS conference in February and the general feeling was that congress will make accreditation a requirement to obtaining federal funding.

Karin

 
Posted : 12/03/2010 6:55 am
(@yunus)
Posts: 178
Estimable Member
 

Jegham,

No, the forensics labs do not have to be accredited, however, it is kind of merit for a forensic lab to be able to prove that its services worth trust.

It may be an advantage if you are a private lab as it would bring you more customer and more reputation.

As for the requirements, it requires a group of quality management guys and some paperwork. You need to write down all the procedures, hardware and software you are using for the examinations and that you need to prove that you always stick to what you have said you are doing.

Once you are accredited, you should also need renew it every year to ensure that what was accredited last year is still in place, up and running.

 
Posted : 09/04/2010 1:45 am
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