Crime & Law
CPD Forensic Division Lab Earns National Accreditation
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
The Chicago Police Department’s forensics division has earned national accreditation, an achievement officials say will aid the department in its mission.
The CPD on Thursday announced that its Forensic Services Division is now an accredited laboratory by the American National Standards Institute’s National Accreditation Board, the result of what the department said has been a multi-year effort.
“Receiving accreditation is the culmination of years of hard work by the men and women of the Forensic Services Division to standardize the laboratory’s operations in accordance with national standards,” First Deputy Superintendent Antoinette Ursitti, who oversaw the accreditation efforts, said in a statement.
According to the CPD, its forensic lab achieved accreditation on its first assessment attempt, which the department said is rare for one of its size.
To do so, the Forensic Services Division achieved compliance by fulfilling more than 400 requirements relating to its forensic testing process, as well as staffing, training, documentation and accountability protocols.
The CPD said this accreditation affirms the integrity of forensic testing in its lab, which will aid in both the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases.
“The Forensic Services Division is crucial to our investigative process, and this accreditation process has helped us expand and further legitimize our forensic capabilities,” Chief of Detectives Kevin Bruno said in a statement. “Though we have achieved our goal of accreditation, we know there is more work to be done on behalf of every Chicagoan affected by crime.”
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