The Illinois State Police Forensic Science Laboratory in Decatur is now officially open for business. The facility, located along U.S. Route 51, received final accreditation and will serve law enforcement agencies across the state. Governor Pritzker says the lab will increase capacity to reduce turnaround time for DNA testing and reduce case backlog.
The new lab will focus on high-throughput DNA testing, which comprises about 20% of all ISP forensic cases. Scientists at the lab will examine crime scene evidence and analyze biological material to identify DNA profiles from suspects utilizing state-of-the-art technology including robotics. The Decatur lab is one of seven ISP forensic laboratories. Approximately $5.4 million was awarded for staffing and equipment at the new laboratory for the first year.
The ISP forensic science laboratory system provides forensic science analytical services to more than 1,200 state, county, and local criminal justice agencies. The system, comprised of seven operational laboratories and a training and application laboratory, processes evidence from criminal cases in seven disciplines: drug chemistry, trace chemistry, toxicology, biology/DNA, latent prints, firearms/toolmarks, and footwear/tire tracks.
