NOPD crime lab attains full accreditation and prepares for DNA testing.

NEW ORLEANS The New Orleans Police Departments Crime Laboratory has reached a major milestone by achieving full accreditation. The labs director shared insights on what this accomplishment means and the facilitys upcoming initiatives.

Our main role is to conduct forensic analyses on evidence gathered from crime scenes. Whenever an incident occurs, our crime scene team collects the evidence, which is then submitted to us for testing, explained Dr. Shanika Kelley.

The lab, which opened in 2022 almost twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, was designed to provide comprehensive forensic services. We have a dedicated chemistry unit handling narcotics testing, a firearms unit for ballistic analyses, and a friction ridge unit for latent prints. We are also in the process of developing a biology unit, Kelley said.

This new biology unit will enable the lab to perform DNA testing for the first time locally since Katrina, a service previously managed by the Louisiana State Police. Equipment acquisition and staff training are currently underway, with DNA testing expected to be operational by December 2027.

Kelley highlighted the significance of the labs accreditation: When I testify in court, the first question is always whether the lab is accredited. Accreditation signifies adherence to strict standards, ensuring that the evidence analysis we provide is reliable and of high quality.

Author: Lucas Grant