TPD first in Alabama to have internationally accredited forensic lab

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Avery Boyce

The Tuscaloosa Police Department is the only first-responding agency in Alabama with an international accreditation forensic department.

International accreditation means TPD’s forensic unit is following the same procedures, principles, and guidelines as other labs around the world. Forensic labs must be re-inspected every 2 years. And becoming accredited in the first place is a tedious, difficult task, making this a big achievement for TPD.

The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation awarded TPD on Feb. 29.

“Accreditation gives us an added level of confidences as those who work in forensics. And it also gives the public, the people we work for, an added level of assurance that the work we do is good, quality work,” said TPD Forensic Director Mitch Rector.

Forensic evidence allows law enforcement to identify and arrest suspects faster. Forensics can bring to light evidence that would have otherwise been nearly impossible to find.

“Sending evidence off-site could delay an investigation weeks or even months,” Chief Brent Blankley said in a TPD media release. “We created this unit so we could quickly identify and arrest violent offenders before they re-offend.”

However, arresting criminals is not TPD’s only priority with its forensic unit. TPD wants to make sure no one is put behind bars for someone else’s crime.

“We can tell that it does not belong to that person, then they can stop pursing that lead,” Rector said.

TPD’s forensic unit specializes in gun and fingerprint forensics. They also use a database that connects law enforcement around the country. When a crime is committed in Tuscaloosa or anywhere in Alabama, forensic evidence is uploaded to the databases. If there’s a match, they’ll know.

“We’ve linked cases with firearms as far away as Tallapoosa county to Tuscaloosa. We make connection with cases that are in Huntsville,” Rector said.

Forensic evidence allows police to connect people, objects, places, and crimes. If one gun was used in 5 crimes, forensic evidence will find out. If one person used 5 guns in different crimes, forensic evidence will find out.

Now with TPD having international accreditation, “the achievement represents our commitment to employing the most current and up-to-date policing methods to ensure the safety and well-being of our community,” Blankley said.