Crime lab's DNA division gains one-year accreditation
Yesterday, the AP reported that the DNA division of the HPD crime lab is set to reopen after receiving accreditation:
The DNA division of the Houston Police Department's crime lab is set to reopen after being closed for more than three years because of concerns over flawed testing, city officials said.
The department said Tuesday that the DNA facility has been accredited by the American Society of Crime Lab Directors. The accreditation certifies that the lab meets minimum standards and is required by Texas law for labs to process evidence.
The Chronicle reported the news today in a story that closely tracks the AP version, but adds this useful information:
Unlike a traditional accreditation, which can last for up to five years, the certification that HPD received will expire in one year, Keaton said. It was limited because analysts were performing tests only on mock cases — not working with material from actual cases — at the time they were evaluated. A 2003 Texas law prohibits unaccredited labs from processing evidence.
As Laurence Simon wrote, HPD gets to take the training wheels off the crime lab -- but only for a year.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 06/21/06 10:35 PM | Print |
Previous Entry | Home | Next Entry
ADVERTISING
DISCLAIMER
All content © 2004-09, blogHOUSTON and the respective authors.
blogHOUSTON.net is powered by Nucleus.
Site design and Nucleus customization are by Kevin Whited.