U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics Fact Sheet Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories 50 Largest Crime Labs, 2002 September 2004, NCJ 205988 -------------------------------------------------------------- This file is text only without graphics and many of the tables. A Zip archive of the tables in this report in spreadsheet format (.wk1) and the full report including tables and graphics in .pdf format are available from: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/50lcl02.htm -------------------------------------------------------------- Matthew J. Hickman BJS Statistician Joseph L. Peterson, D.Crim. University of Illinois at Chicago The 50 largest publicly funded forensic crime laboratories in the United States employed more than 4,300 full-time equivalent (FTE) personnel in 2002 and had total budgets exceeding $266.6 million. These labs received more than 994,000 new cases, including over 1.2 million requests for forensic services during calendar year 2002.***A ‘case' is defined as evidence submitted from a single criminal investigation. A case may include multiple ‘requests' for forensic services (for example, one case may include a request for biology screening and a request for latent prints). A case or request is defined as ‘back-logged' if it is in the laboratory and remains unreported for a period of 30 days or more.*** The requests represented about half of all requests for forensic services handled by publicly funded laboratories nationally. These labs ended the year with over 93,000 backlogged cases including about 270,000 requests for forensic services-- more than twice the backlog at the beginning of the year. The backlog increased in all categories of forensic services. The large labs estimated that about 930 additional FTEs would have been needed to achieve a 30-day turnaround for all 2002 requests for forensic services. Based on starting salaries for analysts or examiners in the large labs, the estimated cost of the additional FTEs exceeds $36.2 million. Most of the large labs indicated that resources beyond personnel increases would also have been needed to achieve a 30-day turnaround on all 2002 requests. These included equipment, supplies, and space requirements, as well as funds for overtime, travel, and training. Among those labs providing detailed cost estimates, additional equipment accounted for about $18.3 million. This report focuses on the current workload, backlog, and estimated resources needed to meet the growing demand for forensic services in the Nation's 50 largest crime labs, as defined by staff size. The data were collected as part of the 2002 BJS Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories. Backlogged requests The 50 largest labs began 2002 with about 117,000 backlogged requests for forensic services. These labs received an additional 1.2 million requests during 2002 and completed nearly 1.1 million requests. The total estimated backlog at yearend, about 270,000 requests, represents an increase of nearly 154,000 requests, or 132%, from the beginning of the year. Dividing the estimated backlogged requests by those completed results in a ratio that describes backlog growth relative to the labs' current capacity to process requests. Overall, for every four requests completed by these large laboratories, there was one outstanding request at yearend. Eighty percent of the estimated 270,000 backlogged requests for forensic services in these large labs was attributable to requests for controlled substances (50%), latent prints (19%), and DNA analysis (11%). Controlled substances Half of the total backlog -- about 136,000 requests -- was attributable to requests for analysis of controlled substances. For every three such requests completed in 2002, approximately one request was outstanding at yearend. Latent prints The backlog included about 51,000 requests for latent print services, or about a fifth of the total. For every two latent print requests completed in 2002, approximately one request was outstanding at yearend. DNA analysis The backlog included about 31,000 requests for DNA analysis. Although these requests comprised about a tenth of the total backlog, they had the greatest backlog relative to labs' current capacity to process requests: for every one DNA analysis request completed in 2002, an estimated 1.7 requests were outstanding at yearend. Expected and actual performance Laboratory directors were asked to report their performance expectations for one FTE examiner per year in each category of forensic services. Overall, examiners in the largest labs processed requests at or above 90% of the expected average in all but two categories: biology screening (82%) and DNA analysis (78%). Examiners performing biology screening were expected to process an average (median) of 166 requests per year. Examiners actually processed an average of 136 requests per year, or about 82% of the expected average. Examiners performing DNA analysis were expected to process an average (median) of 69 requests per year. Examiners actually processed an average of 54 requests per year, or about 78% of the expected average. Human resource needs Overall, the largest laboratories estimated that an additional 931 FTEs would be needed to achieve a 30-day turnaround on all requests for forensic services received in 2002. The estimated total cost of the additional FTEs exceeds $36.2 million. Just over half of the needed FTEs were in the areas of controlled substances (10%), latent prints (17%), and DNA analysis (25%). Controlled substances Labs performing analysis of controlled substances estimated that nearly 100 additional FTEs would have been needed to achieve a 30-day turnaround on all such requests received during 2002. These additional FTEs represent a 7% increase in FTEs currently performing controlled substance analysis. The estimated cost of additional FTEs needed for analysis of controlled substances exceeds $3.6 million. Latent prints Labs performing latent print analysis estimated that about 160 additional FTEs would have been needed to achieve a 30-day turnaround on all such requests received during 2002. These additional FTEs represent a 55% increase in FTEs currently performing latent print services. The estimated cost of these additional FTEs exceeds $6.7 million. DNA analysis Labs performing DNA analysis estimated that about 230 additional FTEs would have been needed to achieve a 30-day turnaround on all DNA analysis requests received during 2002, given current laboratory conditons and analysis tools. These additional FTEs represent a 90% increase in FTEs currently performing DNA analysis. The estimated cost of these additional FTEs exceeds $9.3 million. ---------------------------------------- The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Lawrence A. Greenfeld is director. Matthew J. Hickman, BJS Statistician, and Joseph L. Peterson, Professor and Acting Head of the Department of Criminal Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), collaborated on this report. Steven K. Smith reviewed the report. Tom Hester edited the report. The data in this report were collected as part of the 2002 BJS Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories, currently in progress. The project is directed by Joseph L. Peterson and Sandra K. Costello, Associate Director of the UIC Center for Research in Law and Justice (CRLJ). CRLJ project staff included Laura Kunard, Andrew Krzak, Cosmina Menghes, and Tiffany Vasquez. Representatives of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors(ASCLD)served as subject matter experts and consultants to this project, providing assistance with the development and review of the census instrument, project guidance, and non-response follow-up. ASCLD representatives included the following: Elizabeth Carpenter, Director of the Portland (OR) State Police Forensic Laboratory; Roger Kahn, Deputy Superintendent of Laboratories of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation; Susan Johns, Bureau Chief of the Illinois State Police Division of Forensic Services; David Petersen, Assistant Director of the Minnesota State Forensic Science Laboratory; and Jan Bashinski, Chief of the Bureau of Forensic Services (ret.), California Department of Justice. The UIC Survey Research Laboratory (SRL) produced and administered the final census instrument. Future reports based on the completed census will provide information on the organization, budgets, staff, workload, training, and needs of the more than 300 publicly funded forensic crime laboratories currently operating in the United States. Information about the technology programs of the National Institute of Justice can be found at . September 2004, NCJ 205988 Office of Justice Programs Partnerships for Safer Communities Http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov ---------------------------------------------- End of file 08/26/04 ih