How important are crime labs?
Well, they can mean the difference between a suspected murderer or rapist walking or living behind bars.
Mike Martindale of the Detroit News reports:
Inspections at the Michigan State Police's seven crime labs found procedural problems, including how evidence is handled, that need to be corrected before the agency gets a new international accreditation, according to documents obtained by The Detroit News.
Among the issues: incomplete records, security lapses and improper storage of chemicals used in tests, according to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. A national accreditation board issued 118 "corrective action requests."
He reports that the the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board has given the state police until this month to correct the problems. The lab's accreditation expired more than a year ago.
