This is a four page paper responding to the following essay prompt: You are tasked with assisting in the staffing of a new crime laboratory. Not only are you responsible for ensuring that qualified individuals are hired but you must also establish policies that guarantee that quality analysis is the norm. Use what you have learned from this week's readings and discuss what specific policies you would implement to meet the aforementioned goals.
Crime Laboratory
After Bartos's (2012) PBS Frontline story ran, exposing illegitimate online forensic credentialing programs, law enforcement agencies and private crime laboratories became aware of the need for improved human resources departments and more robust candidate screening programs. Given the proliferation of bogus online accreditation systems, human resources managers must remain cognizant of which institutions are credible. Background checks must include attention paid to the quality of the candidate's school and credentialing system used. However, the most important aspect of staffing a new crime laboratory is screening the individual candidates in person. Candidates may have misrepresented themselves on their resumes. Moreover, candidates might be unaware of the roles and duties expected of them, believing their background to be commensurate with the needs of the laboratory. Human resources department staff has a grave responsibility to staff their laboratories with qualified personnel, because the results of testing have direct impacts on the lives of citizens. Crime laboratories also risk lawsuits and other serious problems that are related to untrained staff making preventable errors.
Therefore, if I were staffing a new crime laboratory, I would start with a good human resources department. I would make sure that human resources staff was completely aware of the problems with illegitimate online accreditation systems, and coach staff on how to review resumes thoroughly by researching each institution listed on a candidate's resume. Only candidates who boast degrees and certificates from valid institutions should be considered for our crime laboratory positions. Some of our positions will be entry-level and open to staff willing to learn on the job. These staff members do not need to possess an advanced degree in forensics or criminology. However, an advanced forensics science or criminology-related degree at Masters level or higher should be required for all candidates wearing a laboratory coat and especially those processing sensitive data.
We need to develop a team-based environment, and all team members need to trust the credentials of their coworkers. Likewise, any weak member of the team will prevent the efficient processing of results and will hinder the accuracy of those results as well. A team comprised of qualified individuals will improve the caliber of our laboratory, which should be dedicated to long-term success.
Human resources should also develop a coherent and specific list of roles and duties, with detailed job descriptions for each position in our laboratory. Even when it may seem like common sense, the details of the position should be made absolutely clear to avoid any conflicts regarding who to hire and why. Roles including forensic technicians, fingerprint analysts, blood alcohol analysts, photographers, and field analysts should be broken down and clear list of necessary credentials listed too. If we have turnover in the human resources department, new personnel should be trained immediately and coached on what the duties of each position entail and what to look for in qualified candidates.
Ultimately, hiring the best staff for a crime laboratory is a managerial responsibility. Managers need to take part in the hiring process, requiring only a small amount of time devoted to screening or interviewing a finalist for the position. This way, management can ensure that the human resources department has not overlooked something important. When management is involved in the staffing process, the department can count on more reliable and consistent standards.
Mihalovich & Matheson (2009) point out that criminalistics is a "very young profession," with professional oversights beginning as late as the 1970s (p. 15). Since 1974, when the American Academy of Forensic Sciences introduced certification programs, advancements in the field have been tremendous. However, more work needs to be done before we can be sure that our certification process is reliable. The Criminalistics Certification Study Committee evolved a specific set of criteria for each of the forensics sciences.
Specific points of reference include crime scene investigation personnel and laboratory personnel. Crime scene investigators and laboratory personnel often share duties, and roles may overlap. To minimize role conflict, the human resources department and department supervisors should maintain clear boundaries and keep channels of communication open.
We should have in place policies for screening personnel, by asking candidates to perform laboratory analyses or fieldwork according to the position they are seeking. As a test of their skills, these evaluations will be crucial in determining whether the background listed on the resume corresponds with hands-on knowledge and the ability to work with our team. Each particular field of forensics, including genetics, geology, and other material sciences may have its own assessment measure. Moreover, it will be appropriate to offer personnel periodic evaluations. The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (2010) offers clear guidelines for assessment of candidates and personnel.
Report writing is a core component of the crime laboratory. Our reports must be abundantly clear and relevant to the case at hand. Therefore, our crime lab needs to be staffed with members who are diligent and patient, and who have solid communications skills. Some personnel will be expected to meet with members of the attorney general office or speak in court to offer testimony.
It would be effective to have in place a program encouraging professional development. Crime laboratories host a range of personnel in rapidly changing fields such as genetics. Especially in fields that are technology dependent, or dependent on emerging research like genetics, professional development programs offer the means by which personnel can keep up-to-date on the latest information in their field. Simply by attending seminars and workshops, personnel will be able to network with other forensics experts in their fields and learn about the latest technological tools used to analyze crime data. Therefore, I would maintain a fund for professional development to offer all staff members the opportunity to remain at the top of their field.
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