DNA testing gets high marks

A federal audit praises the accuracy of the Denver police crime laboratory.

The Denver Police Department’s crime lab is on point when it comes to analyzing DNA found at crime scenes, according to the findings of a recent federal audit.

Auditors from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General found the department crime lab’s DNA analysis is accurate, complete and on time, according to the audit report released Thursday. Auditors dinged the lab for two minor violations, neither of which involves the quality of the DNA analysis, but rather the security of the database. The department’s director said both issues are well on their way to being corrected.

“We try to stay ahead of the curve,” crime lab director Greggory LaBerge said.

The justice department routinely audits the crime lab’s DNA processing because it sends DNA evidence from crime scenes to a federal database that’s used by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies across the country.

It’s important for the DNA tests to be accurate and to meet national standards, LaBerge said. After all, juries can convict people of crimes, including murder and rape, based on DNA evidence.

Because of those concerns and the ramifications of DNA evidence, the forensic science field is heavily regulated. The justice department is one of three agencies that routinely reviews the Denver crime lab, he said.

“It’s something we’re used to,” LaBerge said. “It makes you better, right?”

The auditors pulled 100 samples from the 3,646 forensic profiles the lab had uploaded to the national database as of Feb. 23. All 100 were complete and accurate, the audit report said.

The lab sends only DNA collected from crime scenes to the national database. It does not send DNA from victims or other people who are not suspects.

Auditors also found the lab completes its tests in a timely manner and appropriately trains its staff.

As for the criticism, the auditors said the lab was slow to notify the FBI when technicians leave and no longer need access to the database. And it determined the lab should encrypt its backup data so it is more secure. Both issues should be resolved by the end of the month, LaBerge said.

The Denver Police Department opened its first crime lab in the late 1930s, LaBerge said. When it started processing DNA in 1994, it was one of the first police department crime labs to do so, he said. It processes about 10,000 DNA samples a year.

“It’s a great lab,” LaBerge said.