Crime Lab

The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory is a part of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Since its inception in 1937. The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory has been committed to providing the highest quality of professional forensic services to the State of Louisiana. This commitment includes applying sound scientific principles in all analyses, being responsive to our customers, conducting our operations in a fair and objective manner, and being a leader in advancing forensic science. The mission of the laboratory is to assist local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in Louisiana in the investigation of criminal activity by providing accurate and timely scientific analysis of items of physical evidence and reporting the results of those analyses to appropriate entities in the criminal justice community. Forensic scientists at the laboratory perform scientific examinations of evidence and can provide assistance in the actual collection of evidence at crime scenes when requested.

Laboratory personnel also provide expert testimony in criminal court on their findings, when requested. Analyses performed at the laboratory are often the definitive factor in proving the guilt or innocence of persons charged with criminal acts. Being the largest laboratory of its kind in the state, the

The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory is currently accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to their testing accreditation program, which requires conformance to the ISO/IEC 17025 International Standards and any supplemental requirements, including the FBI's DNA Quality Assurance Standards (QAS). The Crime Lab is accredited in the forensic science testing disciplines of seized drugs, fire debris, impressions, biology (DNA), friction ridge (latent prints), toxicology, firearms and toolmarks, scene investigation (crime scene), bloodstain pattern analysis, and fracture match.

Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory Scope of Accreditation

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Lab Facts

• Lab receives over 18,000 separate requests for analysis each year.
• Laboratory staff members are involved in the training of law enforcement officers in all phases of evidence processing and crime scene investigation.
• Staff members belong to a variety of professional organizations:
• American Academy of Forensic Sciences
• Association of Firearm and Toolmarks Examiners
• American Society for Testing and Materials
• Louisiana Association of Scientific Crime Investigators
• Southern Association of Toxicologists
• Society of Forensic Toxicologists
• Southwestern Association of Toxicologists

Customer Information

• Test methods utilized by the Lab are maintained by the Lab and are available for review upon request.
• The most appropriate test method will be selected by the Lab.
• By submitting evidence to the Lab, the customer is agreeing to the test methods selected for use by the Lab, and to any deviation from normal test methods as authorized by the Lab.
• Customers shall be informed of any changes to services requested.
• By submitting evidence to the Lab, the customer agrees to the Lab utilizing its evidence submission policies/procedures for determining selection of items to be tested.
• The Lab reserves the right to subcontract out any lab service; by submitting evidence to the lab, the customer agrees to accept this.
• By submitting evidence to our Lab, the customer is accepting that results may be reported in a simplified way. This allows the Lab to not include the following elements on lab reports; however, these records are readily available upon request:
  • the date(s) of performance of the lab activity (testing). Instead, the examination completion date is reported; and
  • if applicable, the date of sampling, the sampling plan and method used, and the location of sampling.

Forensics Lab Services Guide

Forensic Lab Services Guide

Crime Lab Forms

• DNA Supplemental Form
• Lab Evidence Submittal Form
• Fire Debris Case Information
• DNA Unit Evidence Submission Policy

Rapid DNA

• LSPCL – Rapid DNA Position Statement
• FBI’s Vision of Rapid DNA
• Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods Position Statement on Rapid DNA Analysis
• FBI's Guide to All Things Rapid DNA
• National District Attorneys Association Statement on Use of Rapid DNA Technology
• FBI's Non-CODIS Rapid DNA Best Practices for Law Enforcement Use
• American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Position Statement on Rapid DNA
• Rapid DNA Testing for Non-Codis Uses Considerations for Court