LEMAS-FSS CPFFCL Respondents

Attachment A

CPFFCL Respondents

Law Enforcement Management and
Administrative Statistics- Forensic Services
Supplement (LEMAS-FSS)
Purpose

In 2014, your agency was asked to participate in the Census of Publically Funded Forensic Crime Labs
(CPFFCL). This is not the same survey and serves a different purpose.
The purpose of this survey is to understand the scope of forensic activity carried out by sworn and nonsworn law enforcement personnel who are not primarily assigned to your agency’s forensic crime
laboratory. The survey will ask about the collection, analysis and interpretation of different types of
forensic evidence, evidence collection and storage, and training and certification for those engaged in
forensics services. The survey is meant to capture information only on staff within your agency that may
be engaged in forensic services but who are primarily assigned outside your agency’s forensic crime
laboratory (e.g., sworn officers/detectives who collect forensic evidence or conduct controlled substance
screens in-field).
This survey asks about law enforcement personnel (sworn and non-sworn) that work primarily outside
your agency’s forensic crime laboratory who collect, analyze or interpret evidence in the following
forensic science disciplines:
• Biological examinations (e.g., DNA)
• Controlled substances
• Crime scene (e.g., evidence collection, reconstruction, forensic photography)
• Digital and multimedia examinations (e.g., computer, network, mobile device, video, audio)
• Document examinations
• Fingerprints (e.g., latent prints, ten prints)
• Fire investigation
• Firearms, ballistics and tool mark examinations
• Footwear/Tire tread impressions
• Toxicology
• Trace evidence
• Traffic accident reconstruction
The survey also asks about personnel who engaged in evidence processing and storage.

Law Enforcement Agency Characteristics
1. Please review the following information for your agency. Please fill in any missing information and
correct any errors:
a. Contact Name:
b. Contact Title:
c. Street Address 1:
d. Street Address 2:
e. City, State Zip:
f. Email:
g. Telephone Number:
h. Agency ORI Number:
2. Which of the following best describes your agency?
a. Municipal or county police
b. Sheriff’s office
c. State Police or Highway Patrol
d. Other (please specify): _________________________
3a. As of December 31, 2016, was your law enforcement agency accredited?
a. No
b. Yes
3b. If yes, who was your agency accredited by? (Select all that apply)
□ National organization (e.g., CALEA, IADLEST)
□ State accreditation
4. Does your agency have a forensics laboratory whose principal function is the examination of
either 1) physical evidence by one or more full-time scientists (minimum of bachelor’s degree in
natural science, criminalistics or forensic science) OR 2) digital or multimedia evidence, in criminal
matters and providing reports and testimony to courts of law with respect to such evidence? This
does not include operations that engage exclusively in evidence collection and documentation.
a. No
[Please stop here and call 1-800-845-7883 to confirm your agency’s eligibility
to take the survey]
b. Yes
5. Does your agency have personnel that engage in forensic science services who are not primarily
assigned to your agency’s forensic crime laboratory (include sworn officers/detectives or nonsworn employees who collect forensic evidence, assess crime scenes, or conduct controlled
substance screens in-field outside of the forensic crime lab)?
a. No [GO TO Q17]
b. Yes

Scope & Scale of Forensic Activities Undertaken
6. Did your agency’s personnel who primarily work outside your forensic crime laboratory engage in any
of the following forensic science activities during 2016? Select ‘yes’ if any agency personnel collected
evidence, analyzed and interpreted evidence, OR participated in legal proceedings for each activity. Do
not include individuals who only processed and stored physical evidence.
Activity
Yes
No
1.

Digital & Multimedia Evidence (General)
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
a. Computer Forensics
b. Network Forensics
c. Mobile Device Analysis (e.g., cell phone, GPS)
d. Video Analysis (e.g., CCTV, body camera)
e. Forensic Audio or Voice

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Crime Scene (general)
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
a. Evidence Collection
b. Reconstruction (e.g., blood stain pattern analysis)
c. Forensic Photography

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Fingerprints
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
a. Latent prints
b. Ten print

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4.

Controlled Substances (e.g., in-field screen, in-house testing)



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5.

Firearms & Ballistics/Tool Marks

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6.

Traffic Accident Reconstruction

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7.

Fire Investigation

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8.

Footwear/Tire tread impressions

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9.

Forensic biology (e.g., DNA)





10. Questioned Documents (e.g., handwriting, handprinting, signatures,
printers/copiers)



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11. Toxicology (e.g., urine, blood/blood alcohol concentrations)



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12. Trace evidence (e.g., gunshot residue, hair, fiber, paint, chemical, explosives)





2.

3.

******
******
The following questions are about the law enforcement personnel who work primarily outside the forensic
crime laboratory that engage in <>.
7. Does your agency have personnel who work primarily outside the forensic crime laboratory that
collect <>?
a. No
b. Yes [GO TO Q9]
If NO:
8. Who collects <> for your agency? [select all that apply]

□

Our agency’s forensic crime laboratory personnel

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□
□
□
□
□
□
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Another local police department
Sheriff’s Department
State Police
Fire Department or Fire Marshal
State run laboratory
Other regional law enforcement
Federal laboratory
Medical Examiner or Coroner
Private laboratory or other commercial services

9. Does your agency have personnel who work primarily outside your agency’s crime laboratory that
analyze and interpret the results of <>?
a. No
b. Yes [GO TO Q11]
If NO:

10. Who analyzes and interprets <> for your agency? [select all that apply]

□
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Our agency’s forensic crime laboratory personnel
Another local police department
Sheriff’s Department
State Police
Fire Department or Fire Marshal
State run laboratory
Other regional law enforcement
Federal laboratory
Medical Examiner or Coroner
Private laboratory or other commercial services

[IF Q9= NO and Q10 answered GO TO NEXT DISCIPLINE OR Q17]
[CHECK: IF Q7 = No and Q9 = No, confirm if Q6 <> should be marked ‘yes’]
11. As of the pay period including December 31, 2016, enter the number of personnel who worked
primarily outside your agency’s forensic crime laboratory and who analyzed and interpreted the
results of <> by their professional certification status. When considering personnel who are certified,
only count certifications by a professional organization such as those listed below. Do not count
personnel who obtained training certificates through continuing education or university/college
training.
Sworn
officers
a. Professionally Certified
b. Not Professionally Certified
c. Total

Non-sworn
personnel

Professional Certification Organizations include:
American Board of Criminalistics (ABC)
American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE)
Board of Forensic Document Examiners (BFDE)
American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT)
International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS)
International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners (ISFCE)
Digital Forensics Certification Board (DFCB)
Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Video Association (LEVA)
International Association for Identification (IAI)
Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE)
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)

****IF (Q6 1, 2, or 3 = yes AND associated subdisciplines (a., b., c., or d.) = yes) ASK Q12*****
12. For the personnel who work primarily outside your agency’s forensic crime laboratory, please
indicate how many are professionally certified in following activities within <>. When considering
personnel who are certified, only count certifications by a professional organization such as those
listed below. Do not count personnel who obtained training certificates through continuing
education or university/college training.
All
Some
None
<1a, 2a, OR 3a = yes>
□
□
□
<1b, 2b, OR 3b = yes>
<1c OR 2c = yes>
<1d = yes>

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Professional Certification Organizations include:
American Board of Criminalistics (ABC)
American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE)
Board of Forensic Document Examiners (BFDE)
American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT)
International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS)
International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners (ISFCE)
Digital Forensics Certification Board (DFCB)
Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Video Association (LEVA)
International Association for Identification (IAI)
Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE)
International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)

[IF Q11.b.column1 AND Q11.b.column2 = 0 (“Not Professionally Certified” sworn or non-sworn personnel
=0), GO TO Q15]
13. For personnel who work primarily outside your agency’s forensic crime laboratory and are not
professionally certified (reported in Q11.b. column 1 or 2) is any training required to engage in
analysis and interpretation of <>?
a. No [GO TO 15]

b. Yes
14. What is the average number of required training hours for personnel to analyze and interpret the
results of <>?
15. Have personnel who work primarily outside your agency’s forensic crime laboratory provided results,
conclusions or opinions in legal proceedings for <> (e.g., depositions, sworn testimony, reports to
court)?
Yes
No
N/A
a. Professionally Certified
□
□
□
b. Not Professionally Certified

□

□

□

16. Does your agency have written policies and procedures for <>?
a. No
b. Yes
[Check for additional “Yes” activities in Q6 1-7, repeat Q7-16 for each “Yes” activity; If no other activities 1-7
“yes”, continue to Q17]
******
You indicated that your agency does not have personnel who work primarily outside your forensic crime
laboratory that engage in < LIST ALL >.
17. Who provides your agency with these type of forensic evidence? [Select all that apply]

□
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□
□
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Our agency’s forensic crime laboratory personnel
Another local police department
Sheriff’s Department
State Police
Fire Department or Fire Marshal
State run laboratory
Other regional law enforcement
Federal laboratory
Medical Examiner or Coroner
Private laboratory or other commercial services
******

The following questions concern your agency’s evidence processing and storage procedures and personnel.
18. Does your agency process (i.e., handle, package) and store evidence?
a. No (GO TO END)
b. Yes

19. Where is the evidence stored? [Select all that apply]
□ On-site (e.g., headquarters, station, forensic crime lab)
□ Off-site (e.g., private facility, another law enforcement agency, external forensic crime lab)
□ Other (please specify): ____________________________
20. As of the pay period including December 31, 2016, enter the number of personnel who worked
primarily outside your agency’s forensic crime laboratory that were involved in evidence processing
and storage by their professional certification status. When considering personnel who are certified,
only count personnel who are certified by the International Association for Property and Evidence.
Sworn
officers

Non-sworn
personnel

a. Certified by the International Association for Property

and Evidence

b. Not certified
c. Total
21. Does your agency have written policies and procedures for evidence processing and storage?
a. No
b. Yes
END OF SURVEY
Thank you for completing the survey.