MSP Forensic Lab Accreditation

The Marquette Forensic Lab is one of seven in the state to have retained accreditation. Michigan State Police Director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue made the announcement today, saying all seven of the department’s forensic science laboratories received the endorsement by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB).

The ASCLD/LAB accreditation is not mandatory, but the process allows a laboratory to demonstrate that its management, personnel, operational and technical procedures, equipment and physical facilities meet established standards. MSP laboratories have been accredited since September 1984, and account for seven of the more than 380 laboratories
worldwide that hold ASCLD/LAB accreditation.

“This achievement, while always expected, is especially noteworthy this time considering our laboratories were inspected under the new ASCLD/LAB International ISO-based Accreditation Program,” stated Etue. “Obtaining this accreditation is testimony of the caliber of employees we have in our Forensic Science Division and their commitment
to providing the best in forensic services to our criminal justice community.”

The MSP Forensic Science Division provides crime lab services to state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies statewide at no cost to local communities. Services include crime scene response, drug analysis, firearms and toolmark identification, DNA analysis, polygraph services, latent print analysis, toxicology/blood alcohol, questioned documents, micro-chemical analysis, and use of information sharing networks including the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) and Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

In addition to the MSP lab in Marquette, the agency has six others located in Bridgeport, Grand Rapids, Grayling, Lansing, Northville and Sterling Heights.