CPFFCL 2014 Attachments

2014 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories
Supporting statement attachments

A. Title 42 authorization.
B. Letter of support from the National Institute of Justice’s Office of Investigative and Forensic
Sciences.
C. Letter of support from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors.
D. CPFFCL-14 questionnaire.
E. Login screen for CPFFCL-14 web-based questionnaire.
F. Lab eligibility webpage for CPFFCL-14.
G. Section A in CPFFCL-14 web-based questionnaire.
H. Section A with help text bubbles in CPFFCL-14 web-based questionnaire.
I. CPFFCL-14 pretest report.
J. CPFFCL-14 introductory letter.
K. CPFFCL-14 invitation letter.

DERIVATION
Title I
THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968
(Public Law 90-351)
42 U.S.C. § 3711, et seq.
AN ACT to assist State and local governments in reducing the incidence of crime, to increase the effectiveness,
fairness, and coordination of law enforcement and criminal justice systems at all levels of government, and for other
purposes.
As Amended By
THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL ACT OF 1970
(Public Law 91-644)
THE CRIME CONTROL ACT OF 1973
(Public Law 93-83)
THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT OF 1974
(Public Law 93-415)
THE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS’ BENEFITS ACT OF 1976
(Public Law 94-430)
THE CRIME CONTROL ACT OF 1976
(Public Law 94-503)
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1979
(Public Law 96-157)
THE JUSTICE ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1984
(Public Law 98-473)
STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1986
(Public Law 99-570-Subtitle K)
THE ANTI-DRUG ABUSE ACT OF 1988
TITLE VI, SUBTITLE C - STATE AND LOCAL NARCOTICS CONTROL
AND JUSTICE ASSISTANCE IMPROVEMENTS
(Public Law 100-690)
THE CRIME CONTROL ACT OF 1990
(Public Law 101-647)
BRADY HANDGUN VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT
(Public Law 103-159)
VIOLENT CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 1994
(Public Law 103-322)
NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION ACT OF 1993, AS AMENDED
(Public Law 103-209)
and
CRIME IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY ACT OF 1998
(Public Law 105-251)

BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS
CHAPTER 46 - SUBCHAPTER III

[TITLE I - PART C]
42 USC § 3731

[Sec. 301.] Statement of purpose

It is the purpose of this subchapter [part] to provide for and encourage the collection and
analysis of statistical information concerning crime, juvenile delinquency, and the
operation of the criminal justice system and related aspects of the civil justice system and
to support the development of information and statistical systems at the Federal, State,
and local levels to improve the efforts of these levels of government to measure and
understand the levels of crime, juvenile delinquency, and the operation of the criminal
justice system and related aspects of the civil justice system. The Bureau shall utilize to
the maximum extent feasible State governmental organizations and facilities responsible
for the collection and analysis of criminal justice data and statistics. In carrying out the
provisions of this subchapter [part], the Bureau shall give primary emphasis to the
problems of State and local justice systems.
42 USC § 3732

[Sec. 302.] Bureau of Justice Statistics

(a) Establishment. There is established within the Department of Justice, under the
general authority of the Attorney General, a Bureau of Justice Statistics (hereinafter
referred to in this subchapter [part] as “Bureau”).
(b) Appointment of Director; experience; authority; restrictions. The Bureau shall be
headed by a Director appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate. The Director shall have had experience in statistical programs. The Director
shall have final authority for all grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded by
the Bureau. The Director shall report to the Attorney General through the Assistant
Attorney General. The Director shall not engage in any other employment than that of
serving as Director; nor shall the Director hold any office in, or act in any capacity for,
any organization, agency, or institution with which the Bureau makes any contract or
other arrangement under this Act.
(c) Duties and functions of Bureau. The Bureau is authorized to–
(1) make grants to, or enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with public
agencies, institutions of higher education, private organizations, or private
individuals for purposes related to this subchapter [part]; grants shall be made
subject to continuing compliance with standards for gathering justice statistics set
forth in rules and regulations promulgated by the Director;
(2) collect and analyze information concerning criminal victimization, including
crimes against the elderly, and civil disputes;
(3) collect and analyze data that will serve as a continuous and comparable
national social indication of the prevalence, incidence, rates, extent, distribution,
and attributes of crime, juvenile delinquency, civil disputes, and other statistical
factors related to crime, civil disputes, and juvenile delinquency, in support of
national, State, and local justice policy and decisionmaking;
(4) collect and analyze statistical information, concerning the operations of the
criminal justice system at the Federal, State, and local levels;
(5) collect and analyze statistical information concerning the prevalence,

incidence, rates, extent, distribution, and attributes of crime, and juvenile
delinquency, at the Federal, State, and local levels;
(6) analyze the correlates of crime, civil disputes and juvenile delinquency, by the
use of statistical information, about criminal and civil justice systems at the
Federal, State, and local levels, and about the extent, distribution and attributes of
crime, and juvenile delinquency, in the Nation and at the Federal, State, and local
levels;
(7) compile, collate, analyze, publish, and disseminate uniform national statistics
concerning all aspects of criminal justice and related aspects of civil justice,
crime, including crimes against the elderly, juvenile delinquency, criminal
offenders, juvenile delinquents, and civil disputes in the various States;
(8) recommend national standards for justice statistics and for insuring the
reliability and validity of justice statistics supplied pursuant to this chapter [title];
(9) maintain liaison with the judicial branches of the Federal and State
Governments in matters relating to justice statistics, and cooperate with the
judicial branch in assuring as much uniformity as feasible in statistical systems of
the executive and judicial branches;
(10) provide information to the President, the Congress, the judiciary, State and
local governments, and the general public on justice statistics;
(11) establish or assist in the establishment of a system to provide State and local
governments with access to Federal informational resources useful in the
planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs under this Act;
(12) conduct or support research relating to methods of gathering or analyzing
justice statistics;
(13) provide for the development of justice information systems programs and
assistance to the States and units of local government relating to collection,
analysis, or dissemination of justice statistics;
(14) develop and maintain a data processing capability to support the collection,
aggregation, analysis and dissemination of information on the incidence of crime
and the operation of the criminal justice system;
(15) collect, analyze and disseminate comprehensive Federal justice transaction
statistics (including statistics on issues of Federal justice interest such as public
fraud and high technology crime) and to provide technical assistance to and work
jointly with other Federal agencies to improve the availability and quality of
Federal justice data;
(16) provide for the collection, compilation, analysis, publication and
dissemination of information and statistics about the prevalence, incidence, rates,
extent, distribution and attributes of drug offenses, drug related offenses and drug
dependent offenders and further provide for the establishment of a national
clearinghouse to maintain and update a comprehensive and timely data base on all
criminal justice aspects of the drug crisis and to disseminate such information;

(17) provide for the collection, analysis, dissemination and publication of
statistics on the condition and progress of drug control activities at the Federal,
State and local levels with particular attention to programs and intervention
efforts demonstrated to be of value in the overall national anti- drug strategy and
to provide for the establishment of a national clearinghouse for the gathering of
data generated by Federal, State, and local criminal justice agencies on their drug
enforcement activities;
(18) provide for the development and enhancement of State and local criminal
justice information systems, and the standardization of data reporting relating to
the collection, analysis or dissemination of data and statistics about drug offenses,
drug related offenses, or drug dependent offenders;
(19) provide for research and improvements in the accuracy, completeness, and
inclusiveness of criminal history record information, information systems, arrest
warrant, and stolen vehicle record information and information systems and
support research concerning the accuracy, completeness, and inclusiveness of
other criminal justice record information;
(20) maintain liaison with State and local governments and governments of other
nations concerning justice statistics;
(21) cooperate in and participate with national and international organizations in
the development of uniform justice statistics;
(22) ensure conformance with security and privacy requirement of section 3789g
of this title and identify, analyze, and participate in the development and
implementation of privacy, security and information policies which impact on
Federal and State criminal justice operations and related statistical activities; and
(23) exercise the powers and functions set out in subchapter VIII [part H] of this
chapter [title].
(d) Justice statistical collection, analysis, and dissemination. To insure that all justice
statistical collection, analysis, and dissemination is carried out in a coordinated manner,
the Director is authorized to–
(1) utilize, with their consent, the services, equipment, records, personnel,
information, and facilities of other Federal, State, local, and private agencies and
instrumentalities with or without reimbursement therefor, and to enter into
agreements with such agencies and instrumentalities for purposes of data
collection and analysis;
(2) confer and cooperate with State, municipal, and other local agencies;
(3) request such information, data, and reports from any Federal agency as may be
required to carry out the purposes of this chapter [title];
(4) seek the cooperation of the judicial branch of the Federal Government in
gathering data from criminal justice records; and

(5) encourage replication, coordination and sharing among justice agencies
regarding information systems, information policy, and data.
(e) Furnishing of information, data, or reports by Federal agencies. Federal agencies
requested to furnish information, data, or reports pursuant to subsection (d)(3) of this
section shall provide such information to the Bureau as is required to carry out the
purposes of this section.
(f) Consultation with representatives of State and local government and judiciary. In
recommending standards for gathering justice statistics under this section, the Director
shall consult with representatives of State and local government, including, where
appropriate, representatives of the judiciary.
42 USC § 3733

[Sec. 303.] Authority for 100 per centum grants

A grant authorized under this subchapter [part] may be up to 100 per centum of the total
cost of each project for which such grant is made. The Bureau shall require, whenever
feasible as a condition of approval of a grant under this subchapter [part] , that the
recipient contribute money, facilities, or services to carry out the purposes for which the
grant is sought.
42 USC § 3735

[Sec. 304.] Use of data

Data collected by the Bureau shall be used only for statistical or research purposes, and
shall be gathered in a manner that precludes their use for law enforcement or any purpose
relating to a particular individual other than statistical or research purposes.

OMB No. XXXX-XXXX: Approval Expires xx/xx/xxxx
Form CFCL-14

U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Justice Statistics

(Urban Institute acting as data collection agent)

2014 CENSUS OF PUBLICLY FUNDED
FORENSIC CRIME LABORATORIES
Please correct any errors in the name and address information that is printed below.
Contact Name
Contact Title, Contact Agency
Street Address 1
Street Address 2
City, State Zip
Email
Telephone Number

Agency ID

XXXXX-XX

Password

XXXXXXXX

OFFICIAL NAME OF FORENSIC CRIME LABORATORY
(if different from above)

PERSON COMPLETING THE FORM
Last Name

NAME
TELEPHONE

Area Code

First Name
Number

MI
Extension

TITLE
FAX

Area Code

Number

EMAIL
ADDRESS

IMPORTANT - This census is directed to forensic crime laboratories that are solely operated by government funds or whose parent
organization is a government agency.
As of December 31, 2014, if either of the following conditions applies to your agency, you are eligible to complete the questionnaire.
1. Publicly funded crime lab that employs one or more full-time scientists who possess a minimum of a bachelor’s
degree in a natural science (e.g., chemistry, physics, or biology) and who analyze physical evidence in criminal
matters and provide reports and testimony to courts of law on such evidence.
2. Publicly funded crime lab that only analyzes digital or multimedia evidence in criminal matters and provide reports and
testimony to courts of law on such evidence, regardless of whether your agency employs one or more full-time scientists
who possess a bachelor’s degree in a natural science.
If you are unsure about your laboratory’s eligibility, please contact the Urban Institute toll-free at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.

COMPLETION AND RETURN INSTRUCTIONS
Please complete your questionnaire online by using the web reporting option at https:\\cfcl.urban.org using the Agency ID and password
listed in the label above. If you unable to complete the questionnaire online, contact the Urban Institute toll-free at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Please complete the survey online by XXXXXXX. Retain your completed questionnaire for reference.
?

If you have any questions, call the Urban Institute toll-free at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX or send an e-mail to [email protected].
If you have any general comments, please contact Matthew Durose of the Bureau of Justice Statistics by phone at 202-307-0765 or
by e-mail at [email protected].
When corresponding about this questionnaire, please refer to the agency ID number shown above in the pre-printed address information.
Data collected through this project will be used for research and statistical purposes only (Title 42 USC 3725 and 3789g) and
archived on the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) website. Your participation in this data
collection is voluntary.

Burden Statement
Federal agencies may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless
it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 2.9 hours per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate, or any other aspects of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 20531.

URB AN INSTITUTE

Justice Policy Center

INSTRUCTIONS
Please answer all questions with reference to the forensic
laboratory specified on the cover page.
If the answer to a question is “not available” or “unknown,”
write “DK” in the space provided.
If the answer to a question is “none” or “zero,” write “0”
in the space provided.
Please do not leave any items blank.
Additional instructions for completing the questions are in
the Help Text in Appendix A. Definitions are in the Glossary
in Appendix B.

SECTION A: ORGANIZATION

A1.

A2.

What type of government operates this lab facility?
Mark one.
1
City, borough, village, or town
2
County or parish
3
State
4
Federal
As of December 31, 2014, 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.”
1

Yes

2

No

A5. During 2014, did your individual lab facility perform
these forensic functions? Mark “yes” or “no” for
each listed function and associated sub-categories.
See Appendix B for a description of each function.
Yes No
1
2
a. Controlled Substances
1
2
b. Toxicology (General)
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:

Antemortem BAC
Antemortem Drugs
Postmortem
c. Trace (General)

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:

Gunshot Residue Testing
Hair Examination
Fiber Examination
Fire Debris Analysis
Explosives Analysis
Paint Analysis
Chemical Unknown
Other Trace (specify below)

__________________________

d. Impressions (General)
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:

Footwear
Tire Tread
e. Firearms/Toolmarks
f. Digital & Multimedia Evidence

If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:

Computer Analysis
Mobile Device Analysis
Image Analysis
Video Analysis
Audio Analysis
Other DME Analysis (specify below)

__________________________

Skip to A4

1

g. Latent Prints (Do not include 10-print input)
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:

A3.

As of December 31, 2014, how many individual
laboratories are in your multi-lab system? Include
your own laboratory in this total.
_____________________________ laboratories

A4.

If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:

During 2014, did these types of government
agencies submit requests for forensic services to
your individual laboratory? Mark “yes” or “no”
for each response.
City, borough, village, or town
County or parish
State (state-wide or regional)
Federal (nationwide or regional)

Print Development
Comparisons
h. Questioned Documents
Screening
i. Forensic Biology (Includes& Biology
DNA Analysis)

Yes No
1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

Casework
Sexual Assault Casework
Convicted Offender DNA Samples
Arrestee DNA Samples
Other DNA Samples (e.g., missing persons)
j. Crime Scene
If YES, mark all specific functions that apply:

Evidence Collection
Reconstruction

(e.g., bloodstain pattern analysis)

k. Other (specify below)

1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
1 of 6

A6. As of December 31, 2014, 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, laboratory-wide
Yes, only certain disciplines
No

1
2
3  Skip to A8

A7. During 2014, did your individual laboratory use
LIMS for these functions? Mark “yes” or “no”’
for each function. Refer to Appendix B for a
description of each function.

a. Tracking by Item
b. Tracking by Request
c. Tracking by Law Enforcement
Case Number
d. Tracking by Laboratory Case
Number
e. Tracking by Criminal Offense
Type (e.g., homicide or robbery)
f. Calculating Turnaround Time
by Item
g. Calculating Average Turnaround
Time by Section
h. Calculating Average Turnaround
Time for the Overall Laboratory
i. Tracking Criminal Case Status
j. Interfacing with Laboratory
Instrumentation
k. Monitoring Backlog
l. Documenting Chain of Custody
m. Generating Reports
n. Paperless Reporting
o. Other (specify below)
________________________
________________________

Yes No
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2

A8. During 2014, did your individual laboratory
perform these procedures or use these
technologies? Mark “yes” or “no” for each
procedure and technology. Refer to Appendix B
for a description of each procedure or technology.
Yes No
a. Y-STR Analysis
1 2
b. Mitochondrial DNA Analysis
1 2
c. Robotics
1 2
d. Expert Systems
1 2
e. LC- MS/MS for Toxicology
1 2
f. Rapid DNA
1 2

A8. (continued)
g. Familial DNA Database Searches
h. Analyses of Synthetic
Cannabinoids (e.g., Spice, K2)
i. Analyses of Synthetic
Cathinones (e.g., bath salts)
j. Laser Microdissection
k. Polynomial Texture Mapping

Yes No
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2
1 2

A9. During 2014, did your individual laboratory use
these databases? Mark “yes” or “no” for each
database. Refer to Appendix B for a description of
each database.
Yes No
a. Paint Data Query (PDQ)
1 2
b. National Integrated Ballistics
Information Network (NIBIN)
1 2
c. Combined DNA Index System
(CODIS)
1 2
d. Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS)
1 2
e. Integrated Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (IAFIS)
1 2
f. Ignitable Liquids Reference
Collection (ILRC)
1 2
g. Other DNA Database (non-CODIS) 1 2
(specify below)
_____________________________
A10. During 2014, did you individual laboratory
analyze these sources of digital information?
Mark “yes” or “no” for each source of digital
information.
Yes No
a. Traditional Cellphones
(not Smartphones)
1 2
b. Smartphones
1 2
c. Laptop, Tablet, and Desktop
Computers
1 2
d. Thumb and External Drives
1 2
e. Wireless Routers and Network
Devices
1 2
f. GPS and Navigation Systems
1 2
g. Audio Files
1 2
h. CDs, DVDs, and other Storage
Mediums
1 2
i. Gaming Systems (Xbox,
Playstation, etc.)
1 2
j. Cloud and Server Data
(including social media)
1 2
k. Other (specify below)
1 2
_____________________________

2 of 6

SECTION B: BUDGET
B1. During 2014, what was the total amount of
funding received for laboratory operations? Include
fees, grants, and one-time special projects.
$___________________.00
Mark all that apply.
 Financial data includes your entire multi-lab system.
 Budget total was estimated.
 Budget data reported as fiscal year 2014

___ ___ _____ to ___ ___ _____
mm dd yyyy
mm dd yyyy

B2.

During 2014, did you individual lab receive
funding from these sources? Mark “yes” or
“no” for each listed funding source.
Yes
No
a. Fees
1
2
b. Federal Grants
1
2
c. State Grants
1
2
d. Other Grants
1
2

SECTION C: STAFF
C1. Enter the number of full-time and part-time
employees as of December 31, 2014. Report each
employee in only one category. Report employees
who normally work less than 35 hours per week as
part-time. If none, enter 0. Refer to Appendix B for
a description of positions.
Full-time
__________

Part-time
__________

b. Clerical/Administrative __________

__________

a. Managerial

c. Analyst/Examiner
1. Entry-level

__________

__________

2. Intermediate/Senior __________

__________

d. Technical Support

C2. Enter the number of analysts/examiners (as
specified in C1, part c) in your individual
laboratory that were certified by one or more of
the entities listed below? In none, enter 0.
________________________ 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

C3-C4. Enter the minimum and maximum full-time
annual salaries for each position in your
individual laboratory as of December 31,
2014. Exclude benefits and overtime when
reporting annual salaries. If the position does
not exist on a full-time basis, mark N/A.
C3.
Minimum

C4.
Maximum N/A

$__________

$__________ 99

b.Supervisor
$__________
Highest level
(exclude director)

$__________ 99

c. Supervisor
Lowest level

$__________

$__________ 99

d.Analyst/Examiner $__________
Entry-level only

$__________ 99

e. Analyst/Examiner $__________
Senior-level only

$__________ 99
$__________ 99

$__________ 99

a. Director

__________

__________

e. Crime Scene Technician __________

__________

f. Technical Support $__________
(e.g., lab technician,
lab support personnel)

f. Other

__________

__________

g. Researchers Only $__________

g. Total employees
(sum a-f)

__________

__________

3 of 6

SECTION D: WORKLOAD
D1 though D17 asks for information about your individual laboratory workload. Do not include requests that your lab sent to another
lab for analysis. If your lab did not have the responsibility to perform this function in 2014, mark N/A.
 A request is the submission of one or more items of physical evidence to a forensic discipline from a single criminal investigation.
 A single criminal investigation (i.e., case) may result in more than one requests (e.g., toxicology and latent prints).
 A backlogged request is a request that is in the lab and remains unreported for a period of 30 days or more.
 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 below.

D1. How many requests did your laboratory receive
from January 1, 2014 through December 31,
2014? Include convicted offender and arrestee
forensic biology requests.

D2. As of January 1, 2015, how many backlogged
requests (unreported for 30 days or longer) did
your laboratory have? Include convicted
offender and arrestee forensic biology requests.

__________________ requests


Mark here if this number was estimated.

_________________requests
 Mark here if this number was estimated.

a. Total number
b. Total number
of new requests
of requests
received
completed
in 2014
in 2014

c. Total number
of all pending
request awaiting
analysis as of
January 1, 2015

d. Number of
pending requests
that were backlogged
(requests unreported
for 30 days or longer)
as of January 1, 2015

N/A
D3. Controlled Substances

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D4. Toxicology

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D5. Trace

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D6. Impressions

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D7. Firearms/Toolmarks

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D8. Digital & Multimedia
Evidence
D9. Latent Prints

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D10. Questioned Documents 99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D11. Crime Scene

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

N/A

N/A

D12. Forensic Biology (Total)

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D13. Forensic Biology Casework (includes biology screening and DNA analysis)
99 a. ___________
b. ___________
c. ___________
D14. Sexual Assault Casework
99 a. ___________
b. ___________
c. ___________

d. ___________

99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D16. Arrestee Samples
99

a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D17. Convicted Offender Samples
99 a. ___________

b. ___________

c. ___________

d. ___________

D15. DNA Database



d. ___________

Mark here if the numbers in D3 - D17 were estimated.
4 of 6

SECTION E: OUTSOURCING
E1.

F2.

During 2014, did your laboratory outsource the
testing of any type of evidence or samples?
Outsourcing is requests sent to private labs and
public labs outside your multi-lab system. Mark
“yes” or “no.”
1

Yes

2

1

No  Skip to E3
F3.

E2.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.

j.
k.
E3.

During 2014, did your laboratory outsource
analysis of these types of evidence or samples?
Mark “yes” or “no” for each type of evidence or
sample. If your lab did not perform one of the
following functions in 2014, mark N/A.
Yes No N/A
Controlled Substances
1 2 99
Toxicology
1 2 99
Trace
1 2 99
Impressions
1 2 99
Firearms/Toolmarks
1 2 99
Digital & Multimedia
Evidence (DME)
1 2 99
Latent Prints
1 2 99
Questioned Documents
1 2 99
Forensic Biology
1. Casework
1 2 99
2. Sexual Assault Casework
1 2 99
3. Convicted Offender Samples 1 2 99
4. Arrestee DNA Samples
1 2 99
Crime Scene
1 2 99
Other (specify below)
1 2 99
_________________________________
During 2014, did your lab receive requests to
analyze evidence or samples from labs outside
of your own laboratory system? Mark “yes” or
“no.”
1

Yes

2

No

SECTION F: QUALITY ASSURANCE
F1.

As of December 31, 2014, was your laboratory
accredited by the following organizations?
Mark “yes” or “no” for each type.
a. ASCLD/LAB, Legacy
1
2
b. ASCLD/LAB, International 1
2
(ISO 17025)
c. FQS-International
1
2
d. A2LA
1
2
e. Other (please specify below) 1
2
______________________________________

During 2014, 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.
Mark “yes” or “no.”
2

No

During 2014, did your laboratory conduct
proficiency testing on its analysts/examiners?
Mark “yes” or “no.”
1

F4.

Yes

Yes

2

No  Skip to F5

During 2014, which of the following proficiency
tests did your laboratory perform internally
and externally? Mark all that apply. If your lab
did not perform this test in 2014, mark N/A.
Internal

External N/A

a. Blind – analyst/examiner
is not told which case is for
testing.

1

2

99

b. Declared- analyst/examiner is
told when he/she is being tested

1

2

99

c. Random case reanalysis- random 1
selection of analyst/examiner’s
prior case work for reanalysis by
another analyst/examiner

2

99

1

2

99

d. Other proficiency testing
(please specify below)

________________________________

F5.

In 2014, did your laboratory have written
standards for performance expectations for
full-time equivalent analysts/examiners in any
discipline? Mark “yes” or “no.”
1

Yes

2

No

Nodid your laboratory have written code
F6. Yes
In 2014,
of ethics? Mark one.
Yes, created own code of ethics

1

Yes, adopted an existing code of ethics

2

No

3

5 of 6

SECTION G: FEEDBACK & SUBMISSION
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.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to complete this
important survey.

6 of 6

APPENDIX A: HELP TEXT
This section provides information to assist in answering select items from the Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime
Laboratories (CPFFCL). Refer to the glossary in Appendix B for additional information on definitions of terms used in the
survey.
Please do not leave questions blank. If you are unable to complete a question, please contact the Help Line toll free at
1-XXX-XXX-XXXX
SECTION A: ORGANIZATION
A1. Mark the box which best describes the organization that has oversight of your crime laboratory.
A3. An individual laboratory is a separate laboratory entity that is overseen by a single organization.
A5. “Forensic Biology” includes both biology screening and DNA analysis. If your laboratory has any additional
disciplines, please mark “Yes” for “Other” and write in the name of each one in the lines provided.
SECTION B: BUDGET
If you are unable to provide budgetary information, please have the budget section completed by your headquarters or
another agency with administrative control.
B1. Report the total amount of funding received from all sources, including both hard sources (e.g., repetitive) and soft
sources (e.g., fees, grants, and one-time special projects). Include all funding that was budgeted for personnel, fringe
benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, construction, consultants/contractors, indirect costs, and any other operating costs.
Do not enter dollar signs or commas. If you are unable to provide lab-level financial data, you may report the budgetary
information for your multiple laboratory system. If your lab receives funding on both a fiscal and calendar year basis,
report the year that majority of your funding follows. For example, if you receive grants that follow a federal fiscal year
cycle while the rest of your allocated budget follows a calendar year cycle, report the calendar year.
SECTION C: STAFF
For the following questions, please report the personnel totals and salary ranges for your laboratory. If you are a part of a
multiple laboratory system, report these values for your individual laboratory and not for the entire multiple laboratory
system (i.e., the number of analysts/examiners actually working in the individual laboratory, not in the entire system).
C1. If you have employees that fit within multiple categories, report that person in the category that describes the majority
of their duties. For example, if a section manager also works on casework 25% of the time, report that person in the
“Managerial” category. If an analyst/examiner also responds to crime scenes several times a month, report that person in
the “Analyst/Examiner” category. Do not leave any categories blank; write “0” if you have no employees that fall within a
certain category.




“Managerial” positions include any individual whose primary responsibilities are supervisory.
“Clerical/Administrative Support” perform functions related to the operation of the laboratory (e.g., quality
assurance, IT) but do not interact with casework evidence.
“Analyst/Examiner” primary responsibilities include evidence examination, conclusion generation, report
generation and court testimony.
A1



“Technical Support” personnel perform laboratory functions other than direct evidence examination (e.g., reagent
preparation, instrument maintenance, or sample preparation) or assist in evidence examination but do not
generally draw conclusions about any analysis.

When deciding whether an individual falls under the Analyst/Examiner category or Technical Support category, note that
analysts/examiners routinely draw conclusions based on the examination of evidence or crime scene documentation as
part of their job duties. For example, using this criterion, an employee who performs any latent print comparison is an
“Analyst/Examiner” while an employee who performs latent print development but no comparison is “Technical
Support.” All categories should add up to the Total employees (g.).
C2. Do not report any analysts/examiners who are solely certified internally or certified by an unlisted organization only.
C3-C4. If your laboratory does not use set salary scales, enter in the minimum and maximum salaries for that position or
its closest equivalent during 2014. If employees in a particular position are paid a wage rather than a salary, please report
the minimum and maximum pay the employees would receive if they worked 40 hours per week for an entire year and
received no overtime. One common way to do this is: Salary = X dollars/hour * 2080 hours. If, for a given position, the
minimum and maximum salaries are equal, enter the same value in both columns. Please mark the “N/A” checkbox if, on
December 31, 2014, your agency had no employees occupying the given position and the position was not considered
vacant.
Refer to the glossary for position definitions. An employee qualifies as a “Researcher Only” if his or her primary work is
dedicated towards forensic science research. Please note that part (d.) “Analyst/Examiner: Entry Level” refers to the
lowest level only and (e.) “Analyst/Examiner: Senior-Level” refers to the highest level only and excludes intermediatelevel analysts. Do not enter dollar signs or commas. You may round the salary estimates to the nearest $1000.
SECTION D: WORKLOAD
D1-D17. These questions ask about the number of requests your laboratory received and completed from January 1, 2014,
to December 31, 2014. In situations where a request is exchanged between labs within a multiple laboratory system, the
lab which conducts the analysis should count the request, while the lab which sent the request out for analysis should not
count the request.
If you are unable to provide the actual number of requests and can only report an estimate, please check the box under D1,
D2 and/or D17 and contact the Help Line.
D3-D17. These questions ask about the workload for each general discipline listed in item A5. The subcategories for each
discipline that you indicated will not be asked here. If your laboratory does not perform the discipline listed in a
particular column, mark “N/A”.
A single request may include multiple evidence items (e.g., DNA samples). Enter “0” if there were no requests during the
specified time period. Do NOT include items outsourced to other laboratories in this section. For all applicable
disciplines, report the following information:
(a) Total number of new requests received in 2014. Record the total number of requests received from January 1,
2014 to December 31, 2014.
(b) Total number of requests completed in 2014. Record the total number of requests completed (analyzed and
reported) from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014.
(c) Total number of all pending requests awaiting analysis as of January 1, 2015. A pending request refers to
any request submitted to the laboratory for which analysis has not yet started.
(d) Number of these pending requests that were backlogged (requests held for 30 days or longer) as of
January 1, 2015. Record the number of backlogged requests on January 1, 2015. A request is backlogged if a report
has not been generated within 30 days of submission to the laboratory.
A2

D12. This question asks for the total workload information for all forensic biology items processed, including, but not
limited to, biology screening, forensic biology casework requests and DNA database requests. This question is a total for
the discipline and can be greater than the sum of “Forensic Biology Casework” and “DNA Database” work.
D13 . This question asks for workload information for forensic biology casework items, including biology screening. This
question is a subsection of the general “Forensic Biology” category (D12).
D14. This question is a subsection of the “all forensic biology casework” category (D13). Report requests for sexual
assault offenses only.
D15. This question asks for workload information for all items processed for inclusion in a DNA database. This does not
include items collected from crime scenes or exemplars collected for direct comparison or ‘bench matches’.
D16-D17. These questions are a subsection of the “all DNA database” category (D15).
SECTION E: OUTSOURCING
E1. Requests exchanged between laboratories in the same multiple laboratory system are not considered outsourcing.
E2. Mark “N/A” if your laboratory does not have the listed discipline or it is not possible for this discipline to outsource
requests. If you have a type of request that is not listed, write in a description of the request type in the blank line
provided within the “Other” category. Requests exchanged between laboratories in the same multiple laboratory system
are not considered outsourcing.
SECTION F: QUALITY ASSURANCE
F2. Resources may include dollars, work-hours, supplies, or other funding dedicated specifically to supporting research.
F4. If your laboratory participates in both internal and external proficiency testing select both options. Select “N/A” if
your laboratory did not perform that type of proficiency test in 2014. A definition of each proficiency test is provided in
F4.
F5. These expectations may differ by examiner type, forensic discipline and staffing level. Choose “No” if your
laboratory managers and supervisors have expectations of performance that are not codified.

A3

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY
AFIS

Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Biometric database based on
fingerprint minutia, with image storage and search capabilities.

analyst/examiner

Laboratory personnel whose primary responsibilities are the analysis of physical
evidence, drawing conclusions based on that analysis, reviewing and reporting
analytical results and providing expert testimony. Included in this category are
crime scene personnel who perform the senior-level duties of crime scene
reconstruction and blood spatter analysis.

analyst/examiner, entry-level

See analyst/examiner. No professional experience necessary to qualify for hiring
at this level.

analyst/examiner,
intermediate/senior-level

See analyst/examiner. Professional experience necessary to qualify for hiring at
this level. Includes all levels above entry-level that do not have supervisory
duties.

analyst/examiner, senior-level

See analyst/examiner. The highest level of analyst/examiner at the laboratory that
does not have supervisory duties.

arrestee DNA sample

A DNA reference sample from an arrestee collected and analyzed for inclusion
into a database.

backlog, monitoring

See monitoring backlog.

backlogged request

A request that has been submitted to a disciplinary area of the crime laboratory
and remains unreported for a period of 30 days or longer.

calculating turnaround time by item

A LIMS function that will calculate the time it took for the completion of
evidence analysis based on time and/or date information within the LIMS. This
calculation is based on a predefined starting point (e.g., request receipt, request
assignment) and end point (e.g., reporting of results) and is calculated for a single
evidence item.

calculating average turnaround time
by section

A LIMS function that will calculate the average time it took for the completion of
evidence analysis based on time and/or date information within the LIMS. This
calculation is based on a predefined starting point (e.g., request receipt, request
assignment) and end point (e.g., reporting of results) and is calculated for a single
section.

cannabinoids, synthetic

Synthetically produced compounds that mimic naturally occurring cannabinoids.
These compounds are added to some other substrate, marketed as 'spice' or herbal
incense products, and are used illicitly for their psycho-active properties.

case

All physical evidence from a single criminal investigation submitted for crime
laboratory analysis.

casework, forensic biology

Forensic biology requests processed from either questioned evidence (i.e.
evidence of unknown origin) or from known persons whose profiles are not
eligible for entry into a database (i.e. victim exemplar).

cathinones, synthetic

A cathinone is a compound naturally found in the khat plant. When produced
synthetically, these compounds are marketed as bath salts and abused for their
B1

stimulant properties.
cellphone, traditional

The primary purpose of a traditional cellphone is making and receiving calls and
text messaging. Also known as a feature phone or “dumbphone”.

chain of custody, documenting

See documenting chain of custody.

chemical unknown

Microscopic and/or instrumental analysis of evidence to determine chemical
composition of substances that do not fit into the criteria of other trace
subdisciplines.

clerical/administrative

Laboratory personnel whose primary responsibility is to provide support to other
laboratory personnel through the performance of organizational/ administrative
duties.

cloud data

Refers to data stored on a server and accessed remotely, rather than data stored in
the memory of the device that is used to access it.

CODIS

Combined DNA Index System. The software platform for the three-tiered (local,
state, national) DNA database index system.

controlled substances

The identification of drugs and other substances whose possession or use, either
in pure, legal or illicit dosages, is restricted by the government.

convicted offender sample

A DNA reference sample from a convicted offender collected and analyzed for
the inclusion into a database.

crime laboratory

A scientific laboratory with at least one full-time natural scientist that examines
physical evidence in criminal matters, provides reports and opinion testimony
with respect to such physical evidence in courts of law. This definition does not
include operations that engage exclusively in evidence collection and
documentation, such as fingerprint recovery and development, crime scene
response, and photography.

crime scene

Forensic discipline that conducts the identification, documentation, collection
and/or interpretation of physical evidence at a location external to a laboratory
facility and where a suspected crime has occurred.

crime scene technician

Laboratory personnel whose primary responsibilities are to respond to crime
scenes, record and collect evidence, and submit that evidence to a laboratory for
analysis.

criminal case status, tracking

See tracking criminal case status.

criminal offense type, tracking by

See tracking by criminal offense type.

database, forensic biology

Forensic biology requests processed for the express purpose of adding profiles to
the database, specifically items collected from known persons.

digital & multimedia evidence

Analog or digital (stored/transmitted in the binary form) media evidence,
including, but not limited to, computer files, film, tape, magnetic and optical
media, and/or information contained therein.

B2

documenting chain of custody

LIMS function that records the possession and location of evidence from
collection through analysis, possible court presentation and long term storage.
This may include both internal and external chain of custody.

expert system

Software designed to process data without human intervention.

explosives analysis

Microscopic and/or instrumental analysis of physical evidence and devices
rendered safe for the quantitative/qualitative chemical analysis of low and/or high
explosives and/or explosives residue.

familial DNA database searches

Searching a DNA database.

fiber examination

Microscopic and/or instrumental examination of fibers. This analysis may identify
the fiber type and other class characteristics by observation of physical, chemical
and optical properties.

fire debris analysis

Instrumental analysis of physical evidence in order to detect the presence of
possible ignitable liquid residues foreign to the substrate.

firearms/toolmarks

Examination and comparison of evidence resulting from discharge and/or use of
firearms; comparison of marks made by various tools.

forensic biology

The location, screening, identification and characterizations of physiological
fluids and DNA analysis of biological evidence. This category combines the
“biology screening” and “DNA analysis” categories used in the 2002 and 2005
Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs.
Forensic biology casework refers to the processing of any item to aid a criminal
investigation, this includes items of known (K) and unknown (Q) origin. DNA
database refers to the processing of any item from a known person for inclusion
into a database.

generating reports

A LIMS function that automatically assists in the creation of reports, including,
but not limited to, creating report language, inputting data into report templates,
certificates of analysis and workload reports. This functionality eliminates or
greatly reduces the amount of examiner time dedicated to producing reports for
evidence submitting agencies.

gunshot residue testing

Microscopic and/or instrumental analysis of evidence in order to detect any
particulates expelled from any and all openings of a firearm during firing. This
definition does not include weapon-to-target distance determination.

hair examination

Microscopic examination of the structural characteristics of hair to determine
characteristics of the hair source or for comparison with a set of known
exemplars.

hard sources

Repeated and dependable sources of funding including, but not limited to, funds
provided from the city, county, state or federal government.

IAFIS

Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System of the FBI.

ILRC

Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection. The ILRC is an online compilation of
ignitable liquid reference materials and accompanying data used in the analysis of
fire debris samples in accordance with the American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) E-1618 standard test methods.
B3

impressions

Identification, documentation, collection, and interpretation of two-dimensional
and three dimensional impressions and imprints found on physical evidence (e.g.,
footwear, tire tread). For purposes of this survey, firearms/toolmarks and latent
prints are separate categories and are not to be included in the general impressions
category.

interfacing with laboratory
instrumentation

LIMS function that allows for the automatic communication between the LIMS
and the laboratory instrument software. This may allow the LIMS to store
instrument outputs (data), control instrument operations and/or track usage.

item, tracking by

See tracking by item.

laboratory case number, tracking by

See tracking by laboratory case number.

laboratory instrumentation,
interfacing with

See interfacing with laboratory instrumentation.

laser microdissection

Visualization, isolation and recovery of specific cells from samples mounted on
slides using laser illumination. Frequently abbreviated LMD.

latent prints

Development and/or comparison of fingerprint impressions on physical evidence
or other substrates. This category does not include the input of 10-print records.

law enforcement case number,
tracking by

See tracking by law enforcement case number.

LC-MS/MS

Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Used for the qualitative
and quantitative analysis of drugs and other compounds. The tandem MS
capability allows analysis of many compounds in a single sample injection.

LIMS

Laboratory Information Management System. Any computerized system that
records information about items submitted and analyzed by the laboratory.
System is used to manage, compile, or track requests and/or evidence.

managerial

Laboratory personnel whose primary responsibility is the management or
supervision of other employees.

mitochondrial DNA analysis

Analysis of the hypervariable regions of the mitochondrial genome for the
purpose of identification.

monitoring backlog

A LIMS function that monitors the current status of backlogged evidence. This
function can assist in the calculating and reporting of backlogs; may be discipline
specific or laboratory-wide.

multiple laboratory system

A multi-laboratory system is defined as two or more separate laboratory entities
that are overseen by a single organization.

NIBIN

National Integrated Ballistics Information Network. Repository of digital images
of the markings made on spent ammunition recovered from a crime scene or a
crime gun test fire.

B4

outsource

Physical evidence from the jurisdiction served is sent to another laboratory, public
or private, for analysis. This does not refer to physical evidence sent to other
laboratories in the same multiple laboratory system.

paint analysis

Microscopic and/or instrumental analysis of paint and coating evidence to
determine chemical and physical characteristics that can indicate a specific source
type (e.g., automotive, architectural) or be compared to submitted exemplars.

paperless reporting

Refers to records that are entered directly into a digital device and stored in a
database, as opposed to records physically documented on paper or other tangible
medium.

PDQ

Paint Data Query. PDQ contains information on the chemical composition of
paint from most domestic and foreign car manufacturers and the majority of
vehicles marketed in North America after 1973. This database is maintained by
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

pending request

A request that has been submitted to a disciplinary area of a crime laboratory, but
has not yet been examined and reported to the submitting agency. A pending
request will become a backlogged request after it remains unreported for a period
of 30 days.

performance expectation

The expected number of requests, analyzed and reported, for one full-time
examiner for a specified period of time (e.g., week, month, year). This number is
a managerial expectation and may be higher or lower than the actual number of
requests completed for 2014.

polynomial texture mapping

Images taken from a fixed point of view with lighting at multiple angles are
combined to create an image with increased photorealism. Forensic applications
include imaging of impression evidence. Frequently abbreviated “PTM.”

questioned documents

Examination of printed, typed or written material for the purpose of identifying
the source, determining alterations or other means of gaining information about
the item or the circumstances surrounding its production.

rapid DNA

A rapid DNA process is a hands-free method to produce a DNA profile. This
device may be portable, self-contained and/or reliant on microfluidic technology.

reconstruction

Determining past events that address questions of investigative importance from
the record of physical evidence that has resulted from those events.

request

Submissions of one or more items of physical evidence from the same case to a
single disciplinary area of a crime laboratory. Multiple submissions of new
evidence over time from the same case to one or more disciplinary sections of the
laboratory count as a new request.

request, tracking by

See tracking by request.

reports, generating

See generating reports.

researchers only

An employee whose primary duties are to conduct research, defined as
experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, the revision of
accepted theories, or practical application of such new or revised theories or
technologies.
B5

robotics

Technology designed to perform tasks (e.g., liquid handling) with little-to-no
human intervention.

scientist

A person with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a natural science who
employs the scientific method in the examination and interpretation of evidence in
a crime laboratory.

server data

Refers to data stored in the memory of a central device, rather than in the memory
of the device used to access the data. Often, a server is used to connect multiple
computers to allow them to communicate with one another.

sexual assault casework

Any physical evidence submitted from the commission of a sexual assault. This
category includes, but is not limited to, items referred to as sexual assault kits,
victim physical evidence kits and rape kits.

smartphone

A smartphone is designed to access internet-based services and run programs (i.e.,
apps) in addition to making and receiving phone calls and text messages.

soft sources

One-time or unpredictable sources of funding including, but not limited to, fees,
grants and awards.

supervisor

An employee whose primary duties are the oversight of other laboratory
personnel.

technical support

An employee whose primary responsibility is to provide support to
analysts/examiners via the performance of laboratory-based tasks such as sample
preparation, reagent preparation and analytical instrumentation maintenance.

toxicology

Analysis of biological materials for the presence of drugs and other potentially
toxic materials.

trace

Microscopic, chemical and/or instrumental analysis of transferable evidence and
other materials not specifically covered in other disciplines including, but not
limited to, gunshot residue, fire debris, explosives, paint, glass, hair, fibers, tape
and other varieties of trace and/or transferable evidence.

tracking by criminal offense type

LIMS tracks evidence by the type of associated criminal offense. This may be
used to identify evidence or cases for a single offense type (e.g. homicide) or
multiple offense types (e.g. property crime).

tracking by item

LIMS tracks evidence at the item-level. Tracking may include reference to
location, progress of analysis, or completion dates/times.

tracking by laboratory case number

LIMS tracks evidence at the level of the laboratory case. A laboratory case is a
case number assigned by the forensic laboratory. Tracking may include reference
to location, progress of analysis, or completion dates/times.

tracking by law enforcement case
number

LIMS tracks evidence by the case number assigned by the law enforcement
agency investigating the crime. Tracking may include reference to location,
progress of analysis, or completion dates/times.

tracking by request

LIMS tracks evidence at the request-level. A single criminal event may result in
multiple requests for analysis. Tracking may include reference to location,
progress of analysis, or completion dates/times.

B6

tracking criminal case status

LIMS function that records the progress of a case through the criminal justice
system for which physical evidence has been submitted to the laboratory. Status
information may include open/closed/cleared designation, pending court dates
and/or final case disposition.

Y-STR analysis

Analysis of short tandem repeat loci on the Y chromosome.

B7

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IMPORTANT - This census is directed to forensic crime laboratories that are solely operated by government funds or whose parent
organization is a government agency.
As of December 31, 2014, if either of the following conditions applies to your agency, you are eligible to complete the questionnaire.
1. Publicly funded crime lab that employs one or more full-time scientists who possess a minimum of a bachelor’s
degree in a natural science (e.g., chemistry, physics, or biology) and who analyze physical evidence in criminal
matters and provide reports and testimony to courts of law on such evidence.
2. Publicly funded crime lab that only analyzes digital or multimedia evidence in criminal matters and provide reports and testimony
to courts of law on such evidence, regardless of whether your agency employs one or more full-time scientists who possess
a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a natural science.
?

Please select one of the following options:
1

Yes, one of the conditions above applies to your laboratory. The questionnaire will be provided to your lab in two weeks.

2

Neither of these conditions applies to your laboratory. You do not need to complete the questionnaire.

3

Your laboratory no longer exists as of December 31, 2014. Enter the date your lab ceased operations.
/

?

mm

/
dd

yyyy

next

Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics

Form CFCL-14

2014 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories
Questions or concerns? E-mail [email protected] or call (toll-free) (877) 904-1621

The Urban Institute

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories
File Edit View History Bookmarks

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Help

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OMB No. XXXX-XXXX: Approval Expires xx/xx/xxxx
2014 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories

log off

Crime Laboratory: XX215-08
Verification

Contact
Information

Budget

Organization

Staff

Workload

Outsourcing

Quality
Assurance

Feedback

Validation
& Submit

Section A: Organization
?

?

?

A1. What type of government operates this lab facility? Mark one.

I

1

City, borough, village, or town

2

County or parish

3

State

4

Federal

A2. As of December 31, 2014, was your laboratory part of a multi-laboratory system? Mark “yes” or “no.”

I

I

1

Yes

2

No

A3. As of December 31, 2014, how many individual laboratories are in your multi-lab system?
laboratories

?

I

A4. During 2014, did these types of government agencies submit requests for forensic services to your individual laboratory?
Mark “yes” or “no” for each response.
Yes No
1

2

City, borough, village, or town

1

2

County or parish

1

2

State (state-wide or regional)

1

2

Federal (nationwide or regional)
Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics

Form CFCL-14

2014 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories
Questions or concerns? E-mail [email protected] or call (toll-free) (877) 904-1621

The Urban Institute

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories
File Edit View History Bookmarks

Tools

Help

https://cfcl.urban.org

Google

https://cfcl.urban.org/pages.cfm

OMB No. XXXX-XXXX: Approval Expires xx/xx/xxxx
2014 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories

log off

Crime Laboratory: XX215-08
Verification

Contact
Information

Organization

Budget

Staff

Workload

Outsourcing

Quality
Assurance

Feedback

Validation
& Submit

Section A: Organization
?

?

A1. What type of government operates this lab facility? Mark one.

I

1

City, borough, village, or town

2

County or parish

3

State

4

Federal

A2. As of December 31, 2014, was your laboratory part of a multi-laboratory system? Mark “yes” or “no.”

I

1 Yes
A multi-laboratory system is defined as two or
more separate laboratory
2 No entities that are
overseen by a single organization.

Glossary

?

I

A3. As of December 31, 2014, how many individual laboratories are in your multi-lab system?
laboratories

Help
Enter the number of laboratories in this system,
including your own laboratory.
?

I

A4. During 2014, did these types of government agencies submit requests for forensic services to your individual laboratory?
Mark “yes” or “no” for each response.
Yes No
1

2

City, borough, village, or town

1

2

County or parish

1

2

State (state-wide or regional)

1

2

Federal (nationwide or regional)
Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics

Form CFCL-14

2014 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories
Questions or concerns? E-mail [email protected] or call (toll-free) (877) 904-1621

The Urban Institute

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

1

2014 CENSUS OF PUBLICLY FUNDED CRIME LABORATORIES:
PRETEST RESULTS
OVERVIEW
Due to a growing need for information about forensic laboratories in the United States,
the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) obtains information from crime labs as part of its
Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories (CPFFCL) data collection series.
The Urban Institute (Urban) has been contracted as the data collection agent for the 2014
CPFFCL. In accordance with guidelines from the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), the Urban Institute administered the draft CPFFCL-14 data collection instrument
(i.e., questionnaire) to nine publicly funded forensic labs as part of a pilot study. The
purpose was to pretest the instrument to assess the level of burden for respondents, the utility
of the collection, and to identify measurement issues or areas needing further clarification.
This report details observations from the administration of this pretest, as well as findings
from the debriefing interviews with each of the pretest sites.
METHODOLOGY
The pretest for the CPFFCL consisted of two tasks. First, Urban administered a pretest
version of the questionnaire to nine eligible crime labs along with a survey to obtain
additional feedback about the data collection, including completion times and resources
expended to complete the survey (Appendix A). Second, Urban contacted all pretest site
respondents by phone to discuss the experience of completing the survey, obtain opinions on
items being considered for revision, and clarify any unclear responses.
Survey Administration
Nine laboratories were contacted by Urban to discuss the purpose of the pretest and the
details of the debriefing process in April 2014. The CPFFCL-14 questionnaire was then
mailed to the labs as each agreed to participate. Respondents were given one month to
complete the questionnaire. The U.S. Secret Service had initially agreed to participate. The
lab asked for an extension due to their upcoming audit and one was granted for an additional
month. After follow-up attempts were unsuccessful for several weeks following the
extension, the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner agreed to be a replacement
site for the pilot study. However, due to unforeseen circumstances that eventually impacted
their ability to participate, Allegheny County was unable to complete the questionnaire
before the deadline.

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

2

The eight labs that completed the questionnaire and a debriefing interview included:


Baltimore County Police Department Crime Lab (Maryland)



Indiana State Police Crime Lab



Kansas City Police Department Crime Lab (Missouri)



Montgomery County Crime Lab (Maryland)



Orange County Crime Lab (California)



U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Office of the Inspector General Forensic
Document Laboratory (Washington DC)



Utah Bureau of Forensic Services



Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences

Post-Administration Interviews
Urban asked all pretest site respondents a series of questions to gain a better
understanding of the general experience of completing the questionnaire.


A5, part f asks whether you analyze digital & multimedia evidence. If you
answered yes, do the subcategories accurately reflect the types of digital &
multimedia functions your lab performs? Do you think there are any additional
functions we should add?



A5, part i asks whether your lab performs forensic biology functions. If you
answered yes, is your lab able to report statistics based on the subcategories
provided (i.e., casework, sexual assault evidence, etc.)?



D3 asks about advanced technologies and procedures your lab uses. It includes
responses for analyses of synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones. What
is your opinion of including these options? Do you think they provide important
information for the field? Are there other substances you think should be
included?



D5 asks about sources of digital information that your lab analyzes. If you
answered yes, do you think the response options accurately reflect the types of
digital information being analyzed by the field overall?



For questions D17-D22, did you find it easy to report the statistics in this way
(i.e., separating by casework vs. DNA database samples)? Does your lab perform
other types of forensic biology work that is not captured by these two categories?
If so, what are they?

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

3



Do you think it would be helpful for the field if the survey gathered information
about whether proficiency testing is internal or external?



Similarly, would it be helpful to gather information about whether labs have
professional codes of ethics?



Did you need to use the help text? If so, was it helpful?



Can you think of any instances where your lab or jurisdiction used previous
results from the census (e.g., in a report or when asking for additional
resources)?

FINDINGS
The following findings are divided into four categories: (a) reported amount of time to
complete the questionnaire by pretest sites, (b) general feedback on the instrument, (c)
respondent opinions on items being added or considered for revision, and (d) observations of
other issues and the responses provided to the sites on questions they had about individual
data items.
Completion Times
Pretest sites reported a wide range in completion times. The overall time to complete the
questionnaire reported by the eight labs ranged from 15 minutes to nearly 6 hours (table 1).
On average, pretest sites took about 3 hours to complete the survey. The U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General completed its questionnaire in 15 minutes.
The Quality Assurance section took the least amount of time for labs to complete
(average of three minutes), while the Workload section was the most burdensome (average of
about two hours). The pretest sites reported using between one and six staff members to
complete the questionnaire, and no labs reported additional resource expenses to complete
the survey other than the staff time.

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

4

Table 1. Response Times (in Minutes) for All Pretest Sites
Baltimore
County
MD

Indiana
State
Police

Kansas
City, MO
PD

Montgomery
County
MD

Orange
County
CA

A. Organization
B. Budget
C. Staff
D. Workload

5
90
1
240

10
2
10
60

15
30
65
120

3
5
3
10

5
1
30
240

US Dept
of
Veterans
Affairs,
OIG
1
1
1
10

E. Outsourcing
F. Quality
Assurance
Entire Survey

5

1

10

2

1

5

2

5

2

346

85

245

25

Section

Utah
BFS

Virginia
DFS

Average
minutes

Std
Dev
(min)

Average
hours

Std
Dev
(hr)

15
10
50
150

5
30
30
75

7.38
21.13
23.75
113.13

5.00
28.42
22.70
85.98

0.12
0.35
0.40
1.89

0.08
0.47
0.38
1.43

1

10

5

4.38

3.60

0.07

0.06

1

1

5

5

3.25

1.79

0.05

0.03

278

15

240

150

173.00

114.98

2.88

1.92

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

1

Feedback on the Questionnaire
Conversations with pretest sites did not elicit strong complaints about the data collection
instrument or overall burden in completing it. Most of the sites reported that the help text and
glossary were helpful for completing the questionnaire.
Section A: Organization
No substantive issues were reported by the reviewers in section A.
Digital and multimedia evidence
For the first time in the CPFFCL data collections, sub-categories were added to the
general category of digital and multimedia evidence (DME) to provide more information on
this emerging field (A5f). The pilot sites agreed that the sub-categories are reflective of the
types of evidence that is collected and analyzed by the field. Urban spoke at length with the
more knowledgeable pilot sites about DME to obtain additional information on the different
types of DME and how each corresponds to the given sub-categories. The suggestion was
made to separate computer analysis and mobile device analysis into separate response
options for A5 because mobile device analysis is usually performed by police and done early
in the investigation while computer analysis is generally done later on. Multiple labs noted
that the survey should clarify in which category of question D5 tablet computers should be
included. One lab noted that sometimes one source of digital media evidence can be
processed using more than one type of analysis. For example, a smartphone may come in and
start off as computer and mobile device analysis, but if a video had been recorded on it, it
would be transferred to video analysis.
Based on the discussions with the pretest sites, separate DME categories were added for
computer and mobile device analysis to A5f and revisions were made in the help text and
glossary to include additional detail on how each DME sub-category is defined in the
CPFFCL.
Section B: Budget
The crime labs did not have any issues with this section and the decision to eliminate the
questions that asked each lab to report its annual itemized expenditure totals (prior to the
pilot test) eased the burden for this section. In addition, the questions that asked labs to report
the amount of money that they received from fees and grants were simplified to ask labs if
they received funding from fees and grants (yes/no).
Section C: Staff
No substantive issues were reported by the reviewers in section C.

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

2

Section D: Workload
Forensic biology
Labs had some confusion over the format of the additional forensic biology
subcategories for “DNA casework” and “DNA database” that were added (following the
CPFFCL-09) to the section where labs are asked to report their overall total number of
forensic biology requests. One lab only reported casework requests that did not move on
from biology screening to DNA analysis in its total number of forensic biology requests.
Similarly, another respondent explained that he has noticed that the field has started referring
to “forensic biology” as everything except DNA analysis and referring to DNA work
separately, which is why he only reported non-DNA analysis in its forensic biology total.
However, another lab reported all forensic biology requests, regardless of whether they
moved on from screening to further DNA analysis.
To better clarify where each forensic biology subcategory should be reported, formatting
changes and modifications to the help text and glossary were made in this section. The
category “DNA casework” was changed to “forensic biology casework” and a note was
added for respondents to include both biology screening and DNA analysis in that particular
field.
One lab asked for definitions of “DNA casework” and “DNA database” work prior to
submitting its completed survey and suggested adding these definitions to the glossary. The
glossary did provide these definitions within the definition for the general discipline of
forensic biology. However, based on this lab’s difficulty locating these definitions, they will
be added to the glossary as separate definitions.
Analysis of synthetic drugs
Labs were unanimous in agreeing that gathering information about analysis of synthetic
drugs is an important addition to the current wave of the survey. Many labs noted that their
workloads in this area have been increasing significantly over the past few years. Labs
generally thought the categories (i.e., synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones) were
appropriate; several labs noted that the substances change so quickly that being any more
specific would end up excluding relevant substances. One lab also noted that synthetic drugs
tend to vary regionally.
Only one lab suggested a revision to the categories: the respondent thought that, since
more traditional technologies can also be used to test for synthetic drugs, it would be better to
ask about specific technologies that test for these substances rather than asking about the
substances themselves. BJS will consider this recommendation for future CPFFCL iterations.

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

3

Impressions analysis
Two labs reported that they were unable to provide separate statistics on the number of
requests received for impressions because that discipline is included under the latent prints
section. One of these labs said that it might be possible to build a LIMS query to isolate the
impressions requests from the latent prints requests, but that would add additional time to
complete the survey. In the CPFFCL-09, labs were asked to document these types of
reporting issues in a free-text field at the end of the questionnaire. In 2009, combined request
totals for impressions and latent prints were reported by six of the approximately 400 labs
that participated in the data collection.
For the CPFFCL-14, the workload section will ask labs to contact the help line for
further instructions if they have difficulty in providing separate request totals for two
disciplines. If they are unable to separate the workload information for two disciplines, they
would be asked to provide an estimate on the distribution of the total across the two
categories within the feedback section of the questionnaire.
Backlog
Two labs in the pilot test reported that providing its backlog totals based on the CPFFCL
definition of 30 days or longer required a substantial amount of time to complete. For
example, in one lab, all pending requests are considered part of the backlog, whereas another
lab uses 45 days as the cutoff. Another respondent reported that in her lab, only certain
sections keep track of the backlog. The backlog items generated the most questions from labs
when responding to the 2009 CPFFCL. Among the 397 labs that responded to the 2009
CPFFCL, 9 reported that they could only provide their backlog totals based on a length of
time other any 30 days or more (e.g., 45 or 90). The combined backlog of these 9 labs in
2009 accounted for about 15,000 of the more than one million backlogged requests reported
by the nation’s crime labs.
The CPFFCL-14 workload section will instruct labs that are unable to report their backlog
totals as specified to contact the help line for assistance. Given that 30 days is widely viewed
by the crime labs and subject matter experts as an acceptable common definition for backlog
at the national level and to ensure the results from the CPFFCL-14 are comparable to those
from previous censuses, BJS decided to keep the project definition as is. Statistical weights
could be applied to the backlog totals of the labs that report this information based on an
amount of time other than 30 days or more.

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

4

Section E: Outsourcing
The crime labs did not have any issues with this section and the decision to eliminate
the questions that asked labs to report the number of requests they outsourced for each type
of forensic service (prior to the pilot test) eased the burden for this section.
Section F: Quality Assurances
Internal versus external proficiency testing
The CPFFCL-14 questionnaire included a new questions on whether the proficiency tests
performed by labs were internally or externally conducted because this was an issue
highlighted in a recent report from the White House Subcommittee on Forensic Science.
Most labs agreed that adding a question about this topic would be helpful. Two labs said that
they did not think it was critical information, but it would not add much additional burden.
One lab suggested that it would be interesting to ask the question by forensic service
(e.g., forensic biology or trace evidence) because each discipline has a different availability
of external proficiency tests. For instance, digital evidence has few external tests whereas
forensic biology is almost all external. Because of the addition reporting burden this change
would add to the CPFFCL-14, BJS decided kept the new set of questions as is and ask labs
whether they performed internal or external proficiency testing for any disciplines in 2014.
The survey will not ask these questions for each individual type of service that labs provided.
BJS will consider this recommendation for future CPFFCL data collections.
Professional code of ethics
Based on another important issue raised by the White House Subcommittee on Forensic
Science, the CPFFCL-14 questionnaire included a question about whether the lab has a
written code of ethics. Similarly, most pilot sites felt that adding a question about
professional codes of ethics would provide useful information without adding a lot of burden
to the survey. One respondent added that since adopting a professional code of ethics is an
accreditation standard, it may be more efficient to only ask the question of non-accredited
labs. However, another respondent noted that it would be interesting to know whether labs
have developed their own codes of ethics or subscribed to the code of ethics of an accrediting
body.
An important note was made about accreditation standards and that it is a requirement;
therefore, the item would only be relevant to those non-accredited labs. To make this
question applicable to all labs, labs with a code of ethics will be asked whether it created the
code or adopted an existing one.

BJS Census of Publicly Funded Crime Labs Pretest

5

Appendix A: Pilot Study Respondent Questionnaire
Thank you for participating in the pretest for the 2014 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime
Labs and for providing the information requested below. This information will assist us in assessing
the burden of the survey and determining the appropriate length of each section. Census staff may
request a brief follow-up phone call to learn more about your experience completing the survey.
1. How much employee time* (hh:mm) did it take to complete the following
sections:
a. Section A: Organization

_________ : _________

b. Section B: Budget

_________ : _________

c. Section C: Staff

_________ : _________

d. Section D: Workload

_________ : _________

e. Section E: Outsourcing

_________ : _________

f. Section F: Quality Assurance

_________ : _________

h. Entire Survey

_________ : _________

2. How many employees dedicated time to complete this survey?

______________

3. Did you have to hire additional staff to complete this survey?

1Yes 2No

4. If YES, how many?

______________

5. Other than time, did you expend any other additional resources
completing this survey?

1Yes 2No

6. If YES, please list the type and cost of those additional resources.

7.

Resource Type
____________________________________

Cost
$_______________.00

____________________________________

$_______________.00

____________________________________

$_______________.00

____________________________________

$_______________.00

____________________________________

$_______________.00

Do you have any other comments you would like to share with us?
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your feedback.
*Employee time represents time spent on the survey that could not have been spent doing any other activity. Do not include
unmanned work hours (i.e., time waiting for information from other managers, time spent waiting for LIMS query results, etc.)

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Washington, D.C. 20531

Month dd, 2015
«Firstname» «Lastname»
«ContactAgencyName»
«ContactLabName»
«ContactAddress1» «ContactAddress2»
«ContactCity», «ContactState» «ContactZip»
Dear «Firstname» «Lastname»,
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the statistical branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, is
conducting a fourth Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories. This project will provide
national statistics on the staffing levels, budgets, workloads, and quality assurances of crime labs during
2014. The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors has expressed strong support for this project.
The BJS reports from the 2002, 2005, and 2009 studies are available at
http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=dcdetail&iid=244.
BJS has retained the Urban Institute as the data collection agent for this project because of their
experience in administering national surveys and knowledge of forensic crime labs. In approximately two
weeks, you will receive instructions from them on how to complete the questionnaire.
We are updating our records to ensure that you receive an invitation to complete the questionnaire. Please
verify your agency’s contact information on the project website at https://cfcl.urban.org before Month dd,
2015. You can login using the identification number and password provided below. If you are unable to
access the website, please contact the Urban Institute at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.
Agency ID: XXXXX-XX
Password: XXXXXXX
Per the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended (Title 42 USC 3732), BJS is
authorized to collect these data. This study has been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management
and Budget in accordance with the clearance requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 as
amended (Title 44 USC 3507). BJS will use the data collected through this project only for research and
statistical purposes (Title 42 USC 3735 and 3789g).
Because this is a census, we hope to collect information from every local, state, and federal crime lab in
the United States. Although this survey is voluntary, your participation is critical to make the results
comprehensive, accurate, and timely. If you have any questions, please contact Matthew Durose of BJS at
(202) 307-0765.
Sincerely,

BJS Director

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Washington, D.C. 20531

Month dd, yyyy
«Firstname» «Lastname»
«ContactAgencyName»
«ContactLabName»
«ContactAddress1» «ContactAddress2»
«ContactCity», «ContactState» «ContactZip»
Dear «Firstname» «Lastname»,
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the statistical branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, is
conducting a fourth Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories. The Urban Institute will
be collecting the data on behalf of BJS. The goal of this project is to obtain information on the workloads
and operations of the nation’s crime labs during 2014. The American Society of Crime Laboratory
Directors has expressed strong support for this study and the national statistics that result from it. The BJS
reports from the previous studies are available at http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=dcdetail&iid=244.
You can participate in the census of crime labs by accessing and completing the questionnaire at:
https://cfcl.urban.org. For security purposes, we have assigned your agency a personal identification
number and password to access the questionnaire online:
Agency ID:
Password:

<>
<>

Because this is a census, we hope to collect information from every local, state, and federal crime lab in the
United States. Although your participation is voluntary, the cooperation of each lab is critical to make the
results accurate and reliable. BJS will use the data collected through this project only for research and
statistical purposes (Title 42 USC 3735 and 3789g).
Per the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended (Title 42 USC 3732), BJS is
authorized to collect these data. This study has been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management
and Budget in accordance with the clearance requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 as
amended (Title 44 USC 3507).
In order to complete the census in a timely manner, we ask that you complete the survey by Month dd,
2015. If you have any questions, please contact the Urban Institute at (xxx) xxx-xxxx or Matthew Durose
of BJS at (202) 307-0765. Thank you for your assistance in this important data collection effort.
Sincerely,

BJS Director