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General
Q: What are the hours of the Laboratory?
A: Generally, laboratory personnel are available between 8:00am and 4:00pm on Monday-Friday.
Q: What are the hours for dropping off evidence?
A: Evidence can be submitted between 8:00am and 3:00pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Q: Can the public contact the lab about a case they are involved in?
A: No. Lab personnel do not release case information. You must contact the detective or officer in charge of the case for any information.
Q: How do I get a report?
A: A report should be sent to all criminal justice agencies involved in that case. If a criminal justice agency needs to request a report, they should contact the section authoring the report by calling 816-349-3200 and asking for that section.
Q: Can you refer me to a business that will help remove blood/biological stains from my property?
A: Click here to see a list of possible companies in the Kansas City area.
Q: Can I tour the Laboratory?
A: Historically the Laboratory has had quarterly tours open to the public. Due to budget constraints, these tours are indefinitely on hold.
Q: How can I prepare for an employment opportunity at the laboratory?
A: The laboratory currently considers only individuals with degrees in a physical or biological scientific discipline (such as biology, chemistry, physics, etc., sometimes colloquially labeled as “hard” sciences to distinguish them from social sciences, etc.) for examiner positions. Some degrees obviously lend themselves better to some disciplines (e.g. a chemistry degree for examinations requiring chemical analysis), and some very specific disciplines may require a more specific degree program focus (e.g. molecular biology for DNA). If you are currently preparing for college, or are investigating directing your curriculum toward a forensic career, you should consult with an advisor about your degree track. If you have a specific discipline you are interested in, laboratory personnel can advise on the general degrees that may be most applicable, but we would not be able to advise you on a specific course program. The course program is determined by the institution you attend in order to meet any requirements dictated by its accrediting authorities.
DNA
Q: I have seen advertisements in the media by technical schools offering forensic training and degree programs. Can I find a career at a laboratory substituting these for a college degree?
A: We can’t speak for all laboratories, but as previously mentioned our laboratory usually begins with the criteria of an accredited college degree in a “hard” science. Often technical school training is very useful in focusing on acquiring specific knowledge and skills but the current nature of forensics requires a verifiable scientific basis. So definitely consider additional personal development to improve knowledge and skills, but don’t make the mistake of thinking they can substitute for the basic degree.
Q: Do you do paternity testing for civil cases (just wanting to know who are the parents, but no crime involved)?
A: No, the crime laboratories services are strictly for criminal cases. If you need paternity testing done in a civil case you will need to contact a private paternity lab such as Paternity Testing Corporation in Columbia, MO (573-442-9948, www.ptclabs.com). Usually samples can be sent through the mail to these types of laboratories for analysis.
Q: How long does it take for DNA testing and why is it so long?
A: It generally takes 4-6 months from the date the DNA section receives a case until it is completed. However, most cases require some type of screening by the Trace Evidence section first. It is not uncommon for a case to take over 1 year to complete the entire process. Once started, each individual DNA sample requires 3-4 weeks from start to finish, which includes 1-2 weeks to generate a DNA profile and 2-3 weeks to write a report on the results and complete a full review of the work by another DNA analyst. The section received over 750 cases in 2008, processing more than 2400 samples.
Q: Why does DNA testing cost so much?
A: DNA testing is charged per sample. This fee covers the amount of time it takes a DNA analyst to complete one sample and the cost of the reagents needed to complete the testing. One of the reagents alone costs $40 per sample. Reagents undergo strict quality control testing at the manufacturer before being sent to customers, which makes them cost more and, when looking at all reagents needed, quickly adds up to hundreds of dollars per sample.
Firearms
Q: Can the lab release a firearm?
A: No. A firearm must be returned to an individual by the Property and Evidence Section of the Kansas City Police Department.
Q: Why does it take so long to process a gun and get it returned?
A: When the firearm is picked up in the field, the officer must first submit it to the property and evidence section. After the property room receives it, it is then shipped to the laboratory. After it is in the laboratory, the firearms personnel, test fire the firearm and return it to the property room. Given that the laboratory receives approximately 1500 firearms a year, the process may take some time.
Fingerprint ID
Q: What do I need to have in order to be fingerprinted?
A: In order to be fingerprinted for a job, school, license or bar exam the following is needed:
• $14.00 per fingerprint card, CASH ONLY
• A picture ID – a valid driver’s license is fine
• A filled out fingerprint card from the agency requesting the fingerprint be done (blank fingerprint cards are not provided)
• Arrive between 8:00am and 2:00pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6633 Troost Ave. Kansas City, MO
Trace
Q: How is Trace Evidence work related to DNA work?
A: The Trace Evidence locates and identifies samples suitable for DNA testing and forwards appropriate samples to the DNA Section for genetic testing. For example, a sexual assault evidence collection kit will be examined by the Trace Evidence Section for semen, saliva, blood or any other associative evidence. Appropriate biological samples from the kit, such as semen, will be forwarded to the DNA Section.
Q: How should Trace Evidence be collected?
A: Trace is invisible or nearly invisible to the naked eye. Rather than collecting trace off of an item, an investigator is better off collecting the entire item, leaving the trace collection to laboratory personnel. Should an item be too large to practically collect, such as seats, cushions, areas of carpeting, etc., taping is the preferred method. Apply either a hinge lift or clear plastic tape over the area of interest. Affix tapings to clear plastic sheets of acetate and place the sheets of acetate with the tapings in a package.
Q: What kinds of tests are performed by the Trace Evidence Section?
A: The wide variety of tests done by this section include:
• Locating and identifying blood, semen, saliva, skin particles, hairs and any other biological evidence for DNA testing
• Locating, identifying and comparing hairs, fibers, ropes, paints, tapes, plastics, condom lubricant traces, plant material, soil and glass with aid of microscopes and instruments
• Physical matches
• Lamp examinations to determine ON/OFF at impact
• Glass examinations to determine the direction of force and the order of multiple impacts
• Bloodstain pattern analysis at the crime scene and on submitted items of evidence
• Crime scene reconstruction
Q: What situations require the collection of a buccal swab standard of a suspect or victim? Note: Buccal (pronounced the same as ‘buckle’) swabs are an easy means of collecting a DNA standard from an individual. They are less invasive than collecting blood.
A: A buccal swab standard should be collected in the following situations:
• If the suspect is known and available, attempt to collect a buccal swab.
• A victim standard should always be collected and submitted to the laboratory from sexual assault cases if DNA testing is requested. Most often the victim standard (blood or buccal swab) is contained within the sexual assault evidence collection kit, otherwise a buccal swab should be collected by an investigator.
• If the submitted items of evidence are items regularly handled by the victim, a buccal swab from the victim should be collected for elimination purposes.
• Any carrying a concealed weapon (CCW) or felon in possession (FIP) case needs a buccal swab from the suspect for DNA analysis. Federal guidelines restrict the laboratory from searching DNA profiles from guns in CCWs and FIPs at the state and national level because there is a reasonable expectation that the person’s DNA will be on the gun due to the nature of the offense.
• If an item of evidentiary value has been handled by parties prior to the commission of the crime, buccals from all such parties should be collected for elimination purposes.
• Buccal swabs from recent consensual sex partners should be submitted in sexual assault cases for elimination purposes.
Q: Why do I need to fill out an analysis request?
A: The Trace Evidence Section assigns cases and tracks them via analysis requests. Without a request, your case will not get assigned or worked.
Q: How much does it cost for trace examinations?
A: The current billing rate is $69 per hour for non-KCPD agencies. The number of hours required for analysis is case and examination dependant and varies widely.
Q: Does the Trace Evidence Section work civil cases in addition to criminal cases?
A: No civil case evidence is examined within the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory. Examiners are permitted to conduct civil evidence examinations outside of the Laboratory on their own time when there are no conflicts of interest.
Q: What are the educational requirements for employment in the Trace Evidence Section?
A: A four-year degree in one of the physical sciences; biology, chemistry or closely-related scientific disciplines are preferred.
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