The 11th Annual National Forensic Science Week is this week. Governor Eric Holcomb signed a proclamation recognizing the efforts of those involved with forensic science.
Indiana State Police laboratory facilities are located in Evansville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Lowell. Approximately 90 percent of analytical services and 60 percent of crime scene investigation services are in support of county and municipal police agency investigations. There is a Biology Section, Comparative Science Section, Chemistry Section, Crime Scene Investigations Section, Digital Forensic Unit, Management Support Section, and Polygraph Unit.
In 2022, there were 24,935 new cases submitted for analysis at the four Indiana State Police laboratories. Crime Scene Investigators responded to 941 different crime scenes throughout the state. Polygraph Examiners conducted 418 polygraph tests.
The total number of Indiana offender samples being searched in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) was more than 431,000 in 2022. There were 736 cases in Indiana linked to a potential suspect by a CODIS DNA match last year.
National Forensic Science Week brings recognition to the role that proper forensic science plays in the investigation of crimes throughout the nation, from exonerating the innocent to identifying the guilty.
