Reimagining forensic science – The mission of the forensic laboratory

Abstract

The year 2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased focus on American racial injustice and victims’ rights, spurring a reimagining of law enforcement and justice services. As forensic laboratories serve investigation and justice with objective data to drive investigations, prosecutions, and exonerations, it is worthwhile to also reimagine forensic science service. With comparators of cost and quality relatively fixed to the consumers of forensic service, service in the form of timeliness of turn-around-time is the main competitive measure of effectiveness. A total backlog can be defined as all cases submitted to the forensic laboratory where a report has not yet been issued. Within a total backlog are the in-analysis backlog and the awaiting start of analysis backlog. By eliminating the awaiting analysis backlog, analysis could begin immediately upon submission. This would provide analysis in as short a time as technology permitted, optimizing the value of forensic laboratory service.