The following statement was presented to the Council of the District of Columbia, Committee on the Judiciary, The Honorable Phil Mendelson, Chair on March 27, 2006, at the Council Chamber, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Mr. Mendelson, members of the Committee, staff and guests. Thank you for the opportunity to read this opening statement into the record and to answer any questions you may have. The full text of my remarks is posted on the Department’s website: http://www.mpdc.dc.gov/.

 

Over the years, advancements in DNA analysis and other forensics technology have provided law enforcement with tremendous benefits in the short-term, as well as amazing promise and potential for the future. While television has certainly popularized the importance of DNA to modern crime fighting, law enforcement agencies across the country can point to any number of real-life cases that have been solved through the use of DNA analysis. Here in the District, we recently closed a 23-year-old murder case based largely on DNA evidence.

 

But entertainment programs such as “CSI” and “Law and Order” gloss over one very important reality: to take full advantage of DNA technology, agencies need the resources – bricks-and-mortar, specialized equipment and highly trained staff – to do the job. Unfortunately, the District of Columbia has been behind the curve – far behind the curve, for a long period of time – when it comes to harnessing the power of DNA technology. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, when some jurisdictions were investing in building or expanding the capacity of their crime labs, the District continued to rely on the federal government to handle most of its lab operations. In recent years, it has become clear to everyone – the Mayor, the Council, the MPD and certainly the community – that this situation is no longer tenable. To support our crime fighting efforts, the District needs its own crime laboratory – and one that is capable of taking full advantage of the latest in DNA and other forensics technologies. 

 

We are finally moving in that direction, with plans under way to construct a consolidated laboratory that will include a fully functional crime lab to support the MPD. But at the same time we are moving toward a new lab, we still have the considerable challenge of managing our current DNA caseload, using our existing resources and continuing to rely on other organizations for considerable support. We simply don’t have the luxury of being able to shut down current operations and concentrate on designing and building a new lab. We need to do both, and we need to do both using the limited resources at our immediate disposal.