Form CFCL-20 2020 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratori

2020 Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories

CPFFCL_PAPI_FINAL

Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Labs

OMB: 1121-0269

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Form CFCL-20

OMB No. XXXX-XXXX: Approval Expires MM/DD/YYYY

2020 Census of Publicly Funded
Forensic Crime Laboratories

U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics
Acting as collection agent: RTI International

Please use this form to provide information on behalf of the following agency:
[FILL AGENCY NAME HERE]
If the agency name printed above is incorrect, please call us at 1-800-XXX-XXXX.

Survey Instructions:
• Submit this form using one of the following four methods:
o Online: www.bjsforensics.org

Agency ID:
Password:

•
•
•
•

o E-mail: bjsforensics@rti.org
o Fax: 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX (toll-free)
o Mail: Use the enclosed postage-paid envelope
Please do not leave any items blank.
If the answer to a question is none or zero, write “0” in the space provided. When exact numeric answers
are not available, provide estimates and indicate that the answer is estimated using the provided checkbox.
Use blue or black ink and print as neatly as possible.
Use an X when marking an answer in a box.

Indicate who completed this form. We are only collecting this information to identify a point of contact for
questions related to the survey responses. This information will not be shared or published.
Name:
Last Name

First Name

Title:

—

Phone:
Area Code Number

Extension

—

Fax:
Area Code Number

E-mail:
Agency
Website:
If you have any questions, call RTI toll-free at 1-XXX-XXX-XXXX, or send an e-mail to bjsforensics@rti.org. If you
have general project-related questions, please contact Connor Brooks of BJS at (202)-514-8633 or
Connor.Brooks@usdoj.gov (please include “CPFFCL” in the subject line).
Burden Statement
Federal agencies may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless it displays a
currently valid OMB Control Number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including time for
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate, or any other aspects of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Director,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended (34 USC
10132), authorizes this information collection. Although this survey is voluntary, we urgently need your cooperation to make the results comprehensive, accurate,
and timely. We greatly appreciate your assistance.

Section A: Organization
A1. What level of government operates this laboratory facility? Mark one.
City, borough, village, or town
County or parish
State
Federal
A2. Which of the following best describes the agency that has administrative oversight of your
laboratory? Mark one.
Law enforcement agency (e.g., department or division of public safety)
Department or division of forensic science
Government attorney’s office (e.g., district attorney)
Public health agency (e.g., department or division of public health)
Other (please specify)

A3. As of December 31, 2020, was your laboratory part of a multi-laboratory system? A multilaboratory system is defined as two or more separate laboratory entities that are overseen by a single
organization. If a laboratory includes multiple physical buildings, but is considered to be a single
laboratory, please mark “No” as a response.” Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to A5
A4. If yes, as of December 31, 2020, how many distinct laboratories were in your multilaboratory system? Include your own laboratory in this total.
Laboratories
A5. During 2020, did any of the following types or levels of government agencies submit requests
for forensic services to your individual laboratory? Mark yes or no for each row.
Yes

a. City, borough, village, or town
b. County or parish
c. State (state-wide or regional)
d. Federal (nationwide or regional)
e. Tribal lands

A6. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with controlled
substances? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No
A7. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with
toxicology? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to A9
A8. If yes, what specific functions did your individual laboratory facility perform?
Mark yes or no for each row.
Yes No
a. Antemortem BAC analysis
b. Antemortem drug analysis
c. Postmortem analysis
2

A9. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with trace
analysis? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No Skip to A11
A10. If yes, what specific functions did your individual laboratory facility perform?
Mark yes or no for each row.
Yes
a. Chemical unknown analysis
b. Explosives analysis
c. Fire debris analysis
d. Fiber examination
e. Gunshot residue testing
f. Hair examination
g. Paint analysis
h. Other trace (please specify)

A11. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with
impressions? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to A13
A12. If yes, what specific functions did your individual laboratory facility perform?
Mark yes or no for each row.
Yes No
a. Footwear analysis
b. Tire tread analysis
A13. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with
firearms/toolmarks? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No
A14. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with digital and
multimedia evidence? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to A16
A15. If yes, what specific functions did your individual laboratory facility perform?
Mark yes or no for each row.
Yes
a. Traditional cellphone (not smartphone) analysis
b. Smartphone, tablet, or mobile device analysis
c. Laptop or desktop computer analysis
d. Thumb and external drives, CDs, DVDs, or other storage media analysis
e. GPS and navigation systems analysis
f. Audio files analysis
g. Video analysis
h. Cloud and server data (including social media) analysis
i. Other analyses of digital/multimedia evidence (please specify)

A16. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with latent
prints? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No Skip to A18
A17. If yes, what specific functions did your individual laboratory facility perform?
Mark yes or no for each row.
Yes No
a. Print development
b. Comparisons analysis
A18. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with questioned
documents? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No
A19. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with crime
scene investigation? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to A21
A20. If yes, what specific functions did your individual laboratory facility perform?
Mark yes or no for each row.
Yes No
a. Evidence collection
b. Scene reconstruction
A21. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform forensic functions with forensic
biology? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No Skip to A23
A22. If yes, what specific functions did your individual laboratory facility perform?
Mark yes or no for each row.
a. Casework– excluding sexual assault
b. Sexual assault casework
c. Convicted offender DNA samples
d. Arrestee DNA samples
e. Other DNA samples analysis (e.g., missing persons, paternity) (please specify)

Yes

f. Direct to DNA approach
g. Probabilistic genotyping
A23. During 2020, did your individual laboratory facility perform other forensic functions not
already captured in A6-A22? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to Section B: Budget
A24. If yes, what other forensic functions did your laboratory facility perform?

Section B: Budget
B1. During the fiscal year that included December 31, 2020, did your individual laboratory receive
funding from any of the following sources? Mark yes or no for each funding source.
Yes No
a. Asset forfeitures
b. Donations
c. Fees (e.g., case processing fees)
d. Grants - federal
e. Grants - state or local
f. Other revenue sources (please specify)

B2. What was the total operating budget for your individual laboratory for the fiscal year that
included December 31, 2020? Include all funding from sources selected in B1 (e.g., fees and
grants). Include personnel budgets. Do not include budgets for building construction or major
equipment purchases.

.00

If estimate, check here:

B3. Does your total operating budget (your answer to B2) include your entire multi-laboratory
system? Mark one.
Yes
No
N/A – Laboratory is not part of a multi-laboratory system
B4. What are the start and end dates of your fiscal year that included December 31, 2020?

M M / D D / Y Y Y Y

MM / D D / Y Y Y Y

Section C: Staffing
This next question asks for the number of employees your laboratory had in 2019.
C1. As of December 31, 2019, how many full-time and part-time employees did your laboratory
have? Include managerial staff, clerical/administrative staff, analysts/examiners, crime scene
technicians, technical support, and other staff.
Number of employees
a. Full-time employees
b. Part-time employees

The remaining questions in this section ask about 2020.
C2. How many full-time employees, part-time employees, and position vacancies in the following
categories did your laboratory have as of December 31, 2020? Report each employee in only one
category, based on primary function. Report employees who normally work less than 35 hours per
week as part-time. If none, enter 0.
Full-time
Part-time
Vacancies
a. Managerial
b. Clerical or administrative
c. Analyst/examiner in-training
d. Analyst/examiner full-performance
e. Crime scene technician
f. Technical support (e.g., laboratory technicians)
g. Other
Total (Sum a-g)

C3. As of December 31, 2020, how many personnel did you have in the following categories?
If none, enter 0.
Number provided
Number of personnel
is an estimate
a. Consultants/contractors
b. Interns
C4. How many hires and separations of key personnel occurred in 2020? Key personnel are defined:
Managerial; Clerical or Administrative; all levels of Analyst/Examiner; Crime Scene Technician; and
Technical Support. Mark if number was estimated.
Number provided
Number of personnel
is an estimate
a. Hires
b. Separations
C5. As of December 31, 2020, how many of full-time analysts/examiners (as specified in C2d) in your
individual laboratory were certified by one or more of the following entities?
If none were certified, enter ‘0’.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

American Board of Criminalistics
American Board of Forensic Anthropology
American Board of Forensic Document Examiners
American Board of Forensic Odontology
American Board of Forensic Toxicology
American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiners
Board of Forensic Document Examiners
Digital Forensics Certification Board
Forensic Specialties Accreditation Board

Full-time analysts/examiners
6

•
•
•
•
•
•

Forensic Toxicologist Certification Board
International Association for Identification (not
including 10-print certification)
International Association for Property and Evidence
International Association of Computer Investigative
Specialists
International Institute of Forensic Engineering
Sciences
Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Video
Association

Section D: Workload
Questions D1 through D6 ask for information about your individual laboratory workload. Please consider the
following definitions as you complete this section.
• Case – a single criminal investigation. A case may consist of more than one request to multiple
disciplines/departments/units (e.g., toxicology, latent prints, and forensic biology).
• Request – a request for analysis by a forensic discipline/department/unit of one or more items of
evidence from a single criminal investigation (i.e., case). For example, a case may result in separate
requests for toxicology, digital evidence, or forensic biology. Some labs may refer to requests as
“forensic service requests”, “client requests”, or “assignments.”
• Item – a single piece of evidence submitted for analysis resulting from a request. There may be
multiple items within a request (e.g., multiple pill bags collected from different locations from the same
crime scene).
• LIMS – Laboratory Information Management System, a computerized system used to manage,
compile, or track requests and/or evidence.
D1. As of December 31, 2020, did your individual laboratory have a Laboratory Information
Management System (LIMS)? If your laboratory’s LIMS is only deployed for certain disciplines, or is
being upgraded or installed, please select “yes.” Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to instructions before D3
D2. If yes, does your LIMS allow you to track the number of requests for analysis received by
your laboratory? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No
Questions D3-D6 ask about requests for analysis your laboratory received for reporting years 2019
and 2020. For these questions, do not include requests that your laboratory sent outside of your
laboratory system for analysis. Include requests sent to other labs in your multi- laboratory system.
Include requests for controlled substances, toxicology, trace, impressions, firearms/toolmarks, digital and
multimedia evidence, latent prints, questioned documents, crime scene, forensic biology casework, and
DNA databasing.
D3. How many requests for analysis did your laboratory receive from January 1, 2019 through
December 31, 2019?

Requests

If estimate, check here:

Number is unknown
D4. How many requests for analysis did your laboratory receive from January 1, 2020 through
December 31, 2020?

Requests

If estimate, check here:

Number is unknown
D5. As of January 1, 2021, how many pending requests for analysis that were unreported for 30
days or longer did your laboratory have?

Requests

If estimate, check here:

Number is unknown
7

D6. How many requests for analysis did your laboratory receive, complete, and have pending in
2020? If an exact number is not available, please provide an estimate and check the “Estimate” box.
Total number of
Total number of all pending requests
pending requests
that were
Total number of
Total number of awaiting analysis unreported for 30
new requests
requests
as of
days or longer as
received in 2020 completed in 2020 January 1, 2021 of January 1, 2021 N/A
a.Controlled
substances

,
Estimate:

b.Toxicology

,
Estimate:

c. Trace

,
Estimate:

d.Impressions

,
Estimate:

e.Firearms/
Toolmarks

,
Estimate:

g.Latent prints

,
Estimate:

h.Questioned
documents

,
Estimate:

N/A

i. Crime scene
investigation

,
Estimate:

f. Digital &
multimedia
evidence

j. Forensic biology
casework
(including sexual
assault casework)
DO NOT
INCLUDE DNA
DATABASING
i. Sexual assault
casework
k. DNA databasing
i. Convicted
offender
samples
ii. Arrestee
samples

D7. How long does your laboratory typically retain digital evidence after analysis is completed?
Digital evidence refers to information of probative value that is stored or transmitted in binary form.
Not applicable, because my laboratory does not
perform forensic functions with digital evidence
 Skip to Section E: Outsourcing
My laboratory does not retain or archive digital evidence
Less than 6 months
6 months to less than 1 year
1 to less than 3 years
3 to less than 5 years
5 to less than 10 years
10 or more years
Indefinitely
D8. If your laboratory retains or archives digital evidence, as of January 1, 2021, how much
storage for digital evidence does your individual laboratory have available?
Mark if number was estimated.
Terabytes

If estimate, check here:

Section E: Outsourcing
E1. During 2020, did your laboratory outsource the testing of any type of evidence or samples?
Outsourcing refers to contracting or procuring analytical services from an outside vendor to
accomplish laboratory functions. It does not refer to purchasing consumables, materials, or
equipment. Mark yes or no.
Yes
No  Skip to E6 on Page 10
E2. If yes, where did your laboratory send outsourced requests in 2020?
Mark yes or no for each laboratory type.
Yes No
a. Commercial or privately funded laboratory
b. Publicly funded laboratory
c. University laboratory (public or private)
E3. During 2020, did your laboratory outsource analysis of any of the following types of
evidence or samples? Mark yes, no, or N/A if your laboratory does not perform this function.
Yes No N/A
a. Controlled substances
b. Toxicology
c. Trace
d. Impressions
e. Firearms/Toolmarks
f. Digital and multimedia evidence
g. Latent prints
h. Questioned documents
i. Crime scene investigation
j. Forensic biology
k. Other (please specify)
 If you answered “No” to E3j (Forensic Biology), skip to E5 on Page 9.
E4. Did your laboratory outsource analysis of the following types of Forensic Biology
evidence or samples? Mark yes, no, or N/A if your laboratory does not perform this function.
Yes No N/A
i. Casework – excluding sexual assault
ii. Sexual assault casework
iii. Convicted offender DNA samples
iv. Arrestee DNA samples
9

E5. What were your laboratory’s total outsourcing costs in 2020? Outsourcing refers to
contracting or procuring services from an outside vendor to accomplish laboratory functions. It
does not refer to purchasing consumables, materials, or equipment.

.00

If estimate, check here:

Please check here if “Don’t know”

E6. In 2020, did your laboratory bring in personnel (e.g., consultants or contractors) to assist with
completing forensic analyses? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No

Section F: Quality Assurance
F1.

As of December 31, 2020, did any of the jurisdictions you serve require accreditation?
Mark yes or no.
Yes
No

F2.

As of December 31, 2020, were any disciplines in your laboratory accredited? Mark yes or no.
Yes
No Skip to F5

F5.

F3.

If yes, as of December 31, 2020, to which standard(s) is your laboratory accredited?
Mark yes or no for each standard.
Yes No
a. ISO 17025
b. ISO 17020
c. Other (please specify)

F4.

Who is (are) your accreditation body(ies)? Mark yes or no for each accreditation body.
Yes No
a. American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA)
b. American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
c. American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT)
d. ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB)
e. College of American Pathologists (CAP)
f. Health and Human Services/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (HHS/SAMHSA)
g. International Association for Property and Evidence (IAPE)
h. International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IAC&ME)
i. National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME)
j. Other (please specify)

During 2020, did your laboratory have resources dedicated primarily to research? Research is
experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, the revision of accepted methods,
or practical application of such new or revised methods or technologies. Resources may include
dollars, work-hours, supplies, or other funding dedicated specifically to supporting research.
Mark yes or no.
Yes
No
10

F6.

During 2020, did your laboratory conduct proficiency testing? Proficiency testing is defined as
the evaluation of a participant’s performance against pre-established criteria by means of interlaboratory comparison. Mark yes or no.
Yes
No Skip to F8
F7.

If yes, during 2020, which of the following proficiency tests did your laboratory perform
internally and externally? Mark yes or no for each proficiency test.
Yes No
a. Blind: analyst/examiner is not told which case is for testing
b. Declared: analyst/examiner is told when he/she is being tested
c. Random case reanalysis: random selection of analyst/examiner’s prior
casework for reanalysis by another analyst/examiner
d. Round robin/challenge testing
e. Other proficiency testing (please specify)

F8.

During 2020, did your laboratory conduct competency testing on its analysts/examiners?
Competency is defined as the evaluation of a person’s knowledge and abilities before performing
independent forensic case work. Mark yes or no.
Yes
No

F9.

In 2020, did your laboratory have a written code of ethics? Mark one.
Yes, our laboratory adopted an existing code of ethics
Yes, our laboratory created its own code of ethics
No

F10. In 2020, at what level did your laboratory perform technical reviews? A technical review refers to
a qualified second party's evaluation of reports, notes, data, and other documentation to ensure there
is appropriate and sufficient support for resulting actions, results, conclusions, opinions, and
interpretations. Include technical reviews that are completed internally AND technical reviews that are
outsourced. Mark one.
My laboratory performed technical reviews on none of the casework.
My laboratory performed technical reviews on some of the casework.
My laboratory performed technical reviews on all of the casework.
F11. As of December 31, 2020, did your laboratory have the following? Mark yes or no for each item.
Yes No
a. Written standard operating procedures
b. Management systems documents (e.g., policy and
objective statements)
c. Performance verification checks
d. Structured training program
11

F12. As of December 31, 2020, did your analysts have access to the following safety and wellness
resources? If yes, indicate if your laboratory primarily provided these resources directly or through an
external agency. Mark yes, directly; yes, through an external agency; or no, analysts did not have
access to this resource for each row.
No, analysts
Yes,
did not have
through an
access to this
Yes, directly external agency
resource
a. Behavior/stress management
b. Employee assistance programs
c. Mental health debrief
d. Proactive resiliency programs
e. Web-based resources
f. Other resources (please specify)

Section G: Feedback & Submission
G1. Please write any comments you would like to share with the Bureau of Justice Statistics
about:
• Your survey responses
• The survey content or format
• The manner of administration of the survey, or
• Any other applicable information

Please return your questionnaire in the enclosed return envelope or mail it to:
Census of Publicly Funded Forensic Crime Laboratories
RTI International
ATTN: Data Capture
5265 Capital Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27690

Thank you for participating in the
Census of Publicly Funded
Forensic Crime Laboratories
12

File Type	application/pdf
Author	Timbrook, Jerry
File Modified	2021-03-23
File Created	2021-03-23