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You are here: Home / Unsolved / RTI International Webinar on backlogs in crime labs

RTI International Webinar on backlogs in crime labs

May 21, 2013 By Alice

RTI International webinar on backlogs in crime labs and their impact on the justice system

This morning I attended this webinar and learned more about the backlogs in crime labs, what causes them, whether all labs have a case acceptance policy, the costs involved and much more. The live discussion took place in Washington DC but was well attended online. The webinar’s chat-room was well attended and I saw comments that gave some practical insight in local labs and their procedures.

I could not help asking whether these backlogs affected the possibilities for evidence in cold cases to be re-examined. I am glad that I posed the question in the chat-room and repeated it because at the very end of the forum’s Q&A session my question got picked up! People attending responded and gave more insight in the issues involved.

mindmap webinar crime lab backlogs
Mindmap webinar on crime lab backlogs by AdS

During the webinar I made some mindmaps.

The first one (on the left)  is about the differences between the efficiency of the lab and the technicians versus the cost efficiency of the lab and the consequences for the delays.

mindmap webinar backlogs crime labs
Second mindmap webinar backlogs crime labs by AdS

The second one (on the right) concerns some consequences of a cold case popping up that needs to be squeezed into the normal work-flow. Does it match the lab’s case acceptance policy? Are there enough discretionary funds to cover the costs of the extra physical activities involved such as locating the evidence and manually processing it?

Unfortunately, the time was up before I could ask more questions. I wanted to know whether each case acceptance policy should allow for time permitting emergency testing when there is a break in a cold case in that particular jurisdiction. Also, how much influence would the collaboration and communication with the district attorney’s office and local law enforcement have on a lab’s case acceptance policy? Could the cold case get priority over the normal case flow and be “bumped up” so to speak?

It was a morning well spent behind the computer screen. Check out RTI International’s site for more information and their webinars.

Cheers, V

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: analysts, backlog in crime labs, Cold Cases, Crime Labs, DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, mindmaps, RTI International

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Author Notes

On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 300 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

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If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

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Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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