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b.
History of Accreditation
Although the issue of laboratory accreditation has achieved public notoriety
only in the last decade or so, the crime laboratories themselves began to
address the issue more than a quarter of a century ago. In the fall of 1973, a
small group of about 30 crime laboratory directors from around the country
met in Quantico, Virginia. A steering committee was formed and a consti-
tution was drafted. In the fall of 1974 the ASCLD was born. One of the early
committees appointed by ASCLD was the committee on laboratory evalua-
tion and standards. The committee considered both certification and accred-
itation programs as a means to evaluate and improve the quality of laboratory
operations. In 1981, a program of laboratory accreditation was approved by
ASCLD, and the committee eventually became the ASCLD/LAB. In 1982, the
eight laboratories of the Illinois State Police became the first laboratories
accredited by ASCLD/LAB. As of June 1999, 182 laboratories worldwide have
become accredited.
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3.
Regulation and Enforcement
At present, both analyst certification and laboratory accreditation are volun-
tary and self-regulated. Neither laboratory accreditation nor analyst certifica-
tion is required, but community and peer pressure to provide documentation
of individual competency and a laboratory-wide quality assurance program
is increasing. We fully expect that within the next decade, if not sooner, both
certification and accreditation will be made mandatory for those who analyze
evidence and produce a work product. What has not begun to be addressed
is whether scientists whose sole involvement is to interpret the work of others,
notably many independent consultants, should be required to demonstrate
the same level of competency as the analyst who performed the work. Inter-
estingly, the forensic science profession has absolutely no control over this
issue; it is a matter totally within the purview of the courts.