In honor of National Forensic Science Week, the Sacramento Police Department will be highlighting our devoted Forensic Investigation Section.  Sunday, September 17 through Saturday, September 23, 2017 marks the Fourth Annual National Forensic Science Week.  During this week, agencies across the nation will be recognizing the vital role that Forensic Science plays in law enforcement.

Solving crime is dependent on the ability to piece together evidence to determine what happened. From burglaries and vandalisms to major incidents such as robberies, sexual assaults, homicides and officer involved shootings, our Forensic Section works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and encompasses 3 separate units; the Crime Scene Investigation Unit (CSI), the Latent Print Unit, and the Evidence Lab.

The men and women of the Sacramento Police Department’s Forensic Investigation Section are highly trained and offer a significant level of expertise. CSI utilizes advanced technology such as the Total Station Diagramming System, chemical blood reagents, and UV/IR cameras for Gun Shot Residue (GSR) and injury photographs.

The Latent Print Unit is comprised of civilian staff that analyzes and recovers latent prints from a crime scene, vehicles and items of evidence.  Examiners analyze and compare prints to known prints of individuals in an effort to make identifications or exclusions. 

The Evidence Lab is responsible for the chemical processing of all evidence collected. 

Evidence from crime scenes is processed using a variety of chemicals, powders, lasers, and digital photography.  They also specialize in serial number restorations on firearms, DNA and blood sampling, and footwear impression analysis.

In 2016, our Forensic Investigation Section handled over 6,500 calls for service.  They are an essential component in helping solving crime and building prosecutable cases in Sacramento. This section plays a significant role in Investigations, ensuring evidence needed for criminal investigations is processed in a way that guarantees its integrity and value in criminal cases.

For more information on National Forensic Science Week see below link:

http://www.forensicscienceweek.org/