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pdfSection A: Organization
A1. What type of government operates this lab facility? Mark one.
City, borough, village, or town
County or parish
State
Federal
A2. Which of the following best describes the agency that has administrative oversight of your laboratory?
Law enforcement agency (e.g., department or division of public safety)
Department or division of forensic science
Government attorney’s office (e.g., district attorney)
Public health agency (e.g., department or division of public health)
Other (please specify)
A3. As of December 31, 2019, was your laboratory part of a multi-laboratory system? A multi-laboratory system is
defined as two or more separate laboratory entities that are overseen by a single organization. Mark yes or no.
Yes
No → skip to A5
A4. As of December 31, 2019, how many individual laboratories were in your multi-lab system? Include your
own laboratory in this total.
____________ laboratories
A5. During 2019, did any of the following types of government agencies submit requests for forensic services to your
individual laboratory? Mark yes or no for each response.
a. City, borough, village, or town
b. County or parish
c. State (state-wide or regional)
d. Federal (nationwide or regional)
Yes No
A6. During 2019, did your individual lab facility perform these forensic functions? Mark yes or no for each listed
function and associated sub-categories. Please follow the skip patterns and mark the appropriate response for the subitems beneath Toxicology, Trace, Impressions, Digital and Multimedia Evidence, Latent Prints, Forensic Biology, and
Crime Scene categories.
Yes
No
b. Toxicology
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
1. Antemortem BAC Analysis
2. Antemortem Drug Analysis
3. Postmortem Analysis
c. Trace
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
1. Chemical Unknown Analysis
a. Controlled Substances
2. Explosives Analysis
3. Fire Debris Analysis
4. Fiber Examination
5. Gunshot Residue Testing
6.Hair Examination
7. Paint Analysis
8. Other Trace (please specify) _______________
d. Impressions
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
1. Footwear Analysis
2. Tire Tread Analysis
e. Firearms/Toolmarks
f. Digital & Multimedia Evidence
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
1. Traditional Cellphones (not Smartphones) Analysis
2. Smartphone, Tablet, or Mobile Device Analysis
3. Laptop or Desktop Computer Analysis
4. Thumb and External Drives, CDs, DVDs, or Other Storage Media Analysis
5. GPS and Navigation Systems Analysis
6. Audio Files Analysis
7. Cloud and Server Data (including social media) Analysis
8. Other Analyses of Digital/Multimedia Evidence (please specify)
_______________
g. Latent Prints
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
1. Print Development Analysis
2. Comparisons Analysis
h. Questioned Documents
i. Forensic Biology
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
1. Casework Analysis
2. Sexual Assault Casework Analysis
3. Convicted Offender DNA Samples Analysis
4. Arrestee DNA Samples Analysis
5. Other DNA Samples (e.g., missing persons) Analysis _______________
j. Crime Scene
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:
1. Evidence Collection
2. Reconstruction (e.g., bloodstain pattern analysis)
k. Other (please specify) _______________
A7. As of December 31, 2019, did your individual laboratory have a Laboratory Information Management System
(LIMS)? A LIMS is a computerized system used to manage, compile, or track requests and/or evidence. Mark one.
Yes
No → skip to B1
A8. Does your LIMS allow you to track workload by Request?
Yes
No
A9. Does your LIMS allow you to track workload by Item?
Yes
No
Section B: Budget
B1. What was the total operating budget for your individual laboratory in 2019? Include all funding received such as
fees, grants, and one-time special projects.
$________.00
□ Please mark here if this figure is an estimate
B1a. Does your total operating budget (your answer to B1) include your entire multi-lab system?
Yes
No
B1b. Are you reporting your budget data for your fiscal year or calendar year?
Calendar year → skip to B2
Fiscal year
B1c.If your reported budget (B1) covers your fiscal year, what are the start and end dates of your fiscal year?
___ __ ____ to ___ __ ____
MM DD YYYY
MM DD YYYY
B2. During 2019, did your individual lab receive funding from any of the following sources? Mark yes or no for each
funding source.
a. Asset Forfeitures
b. Donations
c. Fees
d. Grants - Federal
e. Grants - State
f. Partnerships
g. Private Foundations
h. Task Force Funding (Federal and State)
Yes
No
Section C: Staffing
C1. How many full-time employees, part-time employees, and position vacancies in the following categories did your
laboratory have as of December 31, 2019? Report each employee in only one category, based on primary function.
Report employees who normally work less than 35 hours per week as part-time. If none, enter 0.
a. Managerial
b. Clerical or Administrative
c. Analyst/Examiner
1. In-Training or Entry-Level
2. Intermediate/Senior
d. Crime Scene Technician
f. Technical Support
g. Other
Total (Sum a-g)
Full-time
Part-time
Vacancies
C2. As of December 31, 2019, how many personnel did you have in the following categories as of December 31, 2019?
If none, enter 0.
A. ________Consultants/Contractors
B. ________Interns
C3. How many hires and separations of key personnel occurred in 2019? Key personnel are defined: Managerial;
Clerical or Administrative; all levels of Analyst/Examiner; Crime Scene Technician; and Technical Support. Mark if number
was estimated.
A. ______ Hires
B. ______ Separations
□ Please mark here if this figure is an estimate
□ Please mark here if this figure is an estimate
C4. As of December 31, 2019, how many of full-time analysts/examiners (as specified in C1, part c) in your individual
laboratory were certified by one or more of the entities listed below? If none were certified, enter ‘0’.
______ Full-time analysts/examiners
List of Selected Certification Entities:
American Board of Criminalistics
American Board of Forensic Document Examiners
American Board of Forensic Odontology
American Board of Forensic Toxicology
American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
American Board of Forensic Anthropology
International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists
International Association for Identification (not including 10-print certification)
Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board
Forensic Toxicologist Certification Board
Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners
Board of Forensic Document Examiners
International Institute of Forensic Engineering Sciences
C5. As of December 31, 2019 what were the minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for the following
positions? Exclude benefits and overtime when reporting annual salaries. If position does not exist, mark N/A.
a. Director
b. Supervisor
c. Analyst/Examiner
(Intermediate/Senior)
d. Analyst/Examiner
(Entry-level/In-training)
e. Technical support (e.g., lab tech,
support personnel)
$
$
Minimum
Maximum
.00
.00
$
$
.00
.00
$
.00
$
.00
$
.00
$
.00
$
.00
$
.00
N/A
□
□
□
□
□
Section D: Workload
Questions D1 through D17 ask for information about your individual laboratory workload. Do not include requests that
your lab sent to another lab for analysis.
• A request is the submission of one or more items of physical evidence a forensic discipline from a single criminal
investigation. A request may contain more than one item.
• An item is a single piece of evidence submitted for analysis. There may be multiple items within a submission.
• A single criminal investigation (i.e., case) may result in more than one request (e.g. toxicology, and latent prints).
• Contact the Help Line if you could not report the totals as specified or if you are unable to extract data separately for
the given categories in questions D3-D17.
D1. How many requests and items did your laboratory receive from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019?
Include convicted offender and arrestee forensic biology requests/items.
Mark if number(s) was(were) estimated. Mark if number of items is unknown.
A. _______ Requests
□ Number provided is an estimate
□ Number of requests is unknown
B. _______ Items
□ Number provided is an estimate
□ Number of items is unknown
D2. As of January 1, 2020, how many backlogged requests and items unreported for 30 days or longer did your
laboratory have? Include convicted offender and arrestee forensic biology requests. Mark if number was estimated.
Mark if unknown.
A. _______ Requests
B. _______ Items
The next section asks questions about the number of requests your lab received in 2019. Please answer the following
questions for each discipline. Mark if any of the numbers in D3-D12 were estimated in the checkbox below the table.
A. Total
number of
new requests
received in
2019
D3. Controlled
substances
D4. Toxicology
D5. Trace
D6. Impressions
D7. Firearms/Toolmarks
D8. Digital & Multimedia
Evidence
D9. Latent Prints
D10. Questioned
Documents
D11. Crime Scene
B. Of the
requests received
in 2019, what
was the total
number of items
included?
N/A
C. Total
number of
requests
completed in
2019
D. Total
number of all
pending
requests
awaiting
analysis as of
January 1,
2020
E. Number of
pending
requests that
were unreported
for 30 days or
longer as of
January 1, 2020
N/A
N/A
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
N/A
D12. Forensic Biology
(including forensic
biology casework, sexual
assault casework and
DNA Databasing)
□
□
Mark here if any of the numbers provided in D3-D12 are estimates.
FORENSIC BIOLOGY CASEWORK
D13. Can you report your workload on Forensic Biology Casework, including sexual assault casework, separately from
the forensic biology totals in D12?
Yes
No → skip to D15
N/A, my individual lab facility does not perform Forensic Biology Casework → skip to D15
D13a. Of the new requests for Forensic Biology analysis (D12),
how many were requests for Forensic Biology Casework?
_______________Requests
D13b. How many ITEMS were included in the
requests for Forensic Biology Casework (D13a)?
_______________Items
D13c. How many requests for Forensic Biology Casework were
PENDING OR AWAITING ANALYSIS as of January 1, 2020?
_______________Pending Requests
D13d. How many requests for Forensic Biology Casework were
UNREPORTED FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE as of January 1, 2020
_______________Backlogged Requests
SEXUAL ASSAULT CASEWORK
D14. Can you report your workload on Sexual Assault Casework, separately from the Forensic Biology Casework
totals in D13?
Yes
No → skip to D15
N/A, my individual lab facility does not perform Sexual Assault Casework → skip to D15
D14a. Of the new requests for Forensic Biology Casework (D13a),
how many were for Sexual Assault Casework?
_______________Requests
D14b. How many ITEMS were included in
the requests for Sexual Assault Casework (D14a)?
_______________Items
D14c. How many requests for Sexual Assault Casework were
PENDING OR AWAITING ANALYSIS as of January 1, 2020?
_______________Pending Requests
D14d. How many requests for Sexual Assault Casework were
UNREPORTED FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE as of January 1, 2020?
_______________Backlogged Requests
DNA DATABASE SAMPLES
D15. Can you report your DNA Databasing request workload, including Arrestee and Convicted Offender samples?
Yes
No → skip to D18
N/A, my individual lab facility perform DNA Databasing → skip to D18
D15a. Of the new requests for Forensic Biology analysis (D12),
how many were requests for DNA Databasing?
_______________Requests
D15b. How many ITEMS were included in the
requests for DNA Databasing (D15a)?
_______________Items
D15c. How many requests for DNA Databasing were
PENDING OR AWAITING ANALYSIS as of January 1, 2020?
_______________Pending Requests
D15d. How many requests for DNA Databasing were
UNREPORTED FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE as of January 1, 2020
_______________Backlogged Requests
ARRESTEE SAMPLES
D16. Can you report your Arrestee Sample Databasing workload, separately from the DNA Databasing totals in D15?
Yes
No → skip to D17
N/A, my individual lab facility did not perform Arrestee Samples Databasing → skip to D17
D16a. Of the new requests for DNA Databasing (D15a),
how many were for Arrestee Samples?
_______________Requests
D16b. How many ITEMS were included in
the requests for Arrestee Samples (D16a)?
_______________Items
D16c. How many requests for Arrestee Sample processing were
PENDING OR AWAITING ANALYSIS as of January 1, 2020?
_______________Pending Requests
D16d. How many requests for Arrestee Sample processing were
UNREPORTED FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE as of January 1, 2020?
_______________Backlogged Requests
CONVICTED OFFENDER SAMPLES
D17. Can you report your Convicted Offender Sample Databasing workload, separately from the DNA Databasing
totals in D15?
Yes
No → skip to D18
N/A, my individual lab facility did not perform Convicted Offender Samples Databasing → skip to D18
D17a. Of the new requests for DNA Databasing (D15a),
how many were for Convicted Offender Samples?
_______________Requests
D17b. How many ITEMS were included in
the requests for Convicted Offender Samples (D16a)?
_______________Items
D17c. How many requests for Convicted Offender Sample processing
were PENDING OR AWAITING ANALYSIS as of January 1, 2020?
_______________Pending Requests
D17d. How many requests for Convicted Offender Sample processing
were UNREPORTED FOR 30 DAYS OR MORE as of January 1, 2020? _______________Backlogged Requests
D18. How long does your laboratory typically retain digital data after analysis is completed? Mark one.
My laboratory does not retain or archive digital evidence
Less than 6 months
6 months to less than 1 year
1 through less than 3 years
3 through less than 5 years
5 through 10 years
More than 10 years
Indefinitely
D19. As of January 1, 2020, how much digital data storage does your individual laboratory have available? Mark if
number was estimated.
_____ Terabytes
□ Number is estimated
Section E: Outsourcing
E1. During 2019, did your laboratory outsource the testing of any type of evidence or samples? Outsourcing refers to
contracting or procuring services from an outside vendor to accomplish laboratory functions. It does not refer to
purchasing consumables, materials, or equipment. Mark yes or no.
Yes
No → skip to E5
E2. Where did your laboratory send outsourced requests in 2019? Mark yes or no for each laboratory type.
a. Commercial laboratory
b. Publicly funded laboratory
Yes
No
E3. During 2019, did your laboratory outsource analysis of any of the following types of evidence or samples?
Mark yes, no, or N/A if your laboratory does not perform this function.
a. Controlled Substances
b. Toxicology
c. Trace
d. Impressions
e. Firearms/Toolmarks
f. Digital and Multimedia Evidence
g. Latent Prints
h. Questioned Documents
i. Crime Scene
j. Forensic Biology
1. Casework
2. Sexual Assault Casework
3. Convicted Offender Samples
4. Arrestee DNA Samples
k. Other (please specify) ______________
Yes
No
N/A
E4. What were your laboratory’s total outsourcing costs in 2019? Outsourcing refers to contracting or procuring
services from an outside vendor to accomplish laboratory functions. It does not refer to purchasing consumables,
materials, or equipment.
$________.00
□ Please check box if "Don’t know”
□ Please check box if “Do not outsource”
E5. In 2019, did your laboratory bring personnel (e.g., consultants or contractors) in to assist with completing forensic
analyses?
Yes
No
Section F: Quality Assurance
F1. As of December 31, 2019, did your jurisdiction require accreditation?
Yes
No
F2. As of December 31, 2019, was your laboratory accredited?
Yes
No skip to F5
F3. As of December 31, 2019, to which standard is your laboratory accredited? Mark yes or no for each
standard.
a. ISO 17025
b. ISO 17020
c. CALEA
d. Other (please specify) _________
Yes
No
F4. Who is (are) your accreditation body(ies)? Mark yes or no for each accreditation body.
a. A2LA
b. AABB
c. ABFT
d. CALEA
e. CAP
f. HHS/SAHMSA
g. IAPE
h. NAME
i. Other (Please specify): ___________________
Yes
No
F5. During 2019, did your laboratory have resources dedicated primarily to research? Research is experimentation
aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, the revision of accepted methods, or practical application of such new
or revised methods or technologies. Resources may include dollars, work-hours, supplies, or other funding dedicated
specifically to supporting research.
Yes
No
F6. During 2019, did your laboratory conduct proficiency testing? Proficiency testing is defined as the evaluation of a
participant’s performance against pre-established criteria by mean of inter-laboratory comparison. Mark yes or no.
Yes
No → skip to F8
F7. During 2019, which of the following proficiency tests did your laboratory perform internally and
externally? Mark yes or no for each proficiency test.
a. Blind: analyst/examiner is not told which case is for testing
b. Declared: analyst/examiner is told when he/she is being tested
c. Random case reanalysis: random selection of
analyst/examiner’s prior case work for reanalysis by another
analyst/examiner
d. Round Robin/Challenge Testing
e. Other proficiency testing (please specify)
_____________________________________________________
Yes
No
F8. During 2019, did your laboratory conduct competency testing on its analysts/examiners? Competency is defined as
the evaluation of a person’s knowledge and abilities before performing independent forensic case work. Mark yes or no.
Yes
No → skip to F10
F9. Are your analysts/examiners:
a. Competency tested prior to authorization to complete
casework?
b. Competency tested on a designated regular time interval (e.g.,
annually tested)?
Yes
No
F10. In 2019, did your laboratory have a written code of ethics? Mark one.
Yes, our laboratory adopted an existing code of ethics
Yes, our laboratory created own code of ethics
No
F11. In 2019, at what level did your laboratory perform technical reviews? A technical review refers to a qualified
second party's evaluation of reports, notes, data, and other documentation to ensure there is appropriate and sufficient
support for the actions, results, conclusions, opinions, and interpretations. Mark one.
My laboratory performed technical reviews on none of the casework.
My laboratory performed technical reviews on some of the casework.
My laboratory performed technical reviews on all of the casework.
F12. As of December 31, 2019, did your laboratory have the following? Mark yes or no for each item.
a. Written Standard Operating Procedures
b. Management Systems Documents (e.g., policy and objective
statements)
c. Performance Verification Checks
d. Structured Training Program
Yes
No
F13. As of December 31, 2019, did your analysts have access to the following safety and wellness resources? Mark yes,
directly; yes, through an external agency; or no for each resource.
Yes,
Yes, through
No
directly
an external
agency
a. Behavior/Stress Management
b. Employee Assistance Programs
c. Mental Health Debrief
d. Proactive Resiliency Programs
e. Web-based resources
f. Other resources: ________________________________
Section G: Feedback & Submission
G1. Please write any comments you would like to share with the Bureau of Justice Statistics about (a) your survey
responses, (b) the survey content or format, (c) the manner of administration of the survey, or (d) any other applicable
information.
| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | Greenwell, Kathryn |
| File Modified | 2020-07-10 |
| File Created | 2020-07-10 |