Henderson Police Department forensic lab receives accreditation

The Henderson Police Department’s Criminalistics Bureau Forensic Lab on Monday received a forensic testing laboratory accreditation certificate from the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board at the Henderson City Council meeting.

The certificate demonstrates the sound ability to test forensic evidence, Henderson Police Chief Patrick Moers said.

The board is a nongovernmental organization that accredits public and private sector organizations. It is jointly owned by the American National Standards Institute and the American Society for Quality.

In 2015, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch directed all Justice Department forensic laboratories to obtain or maintain accreditation by 2020. Lynch also directed U.S. attorneys to use accredited forensic testing laboratories when possible.

There are about 15,000 forensic labs in the United States, said Pat Bencivenga, accreditation manager at ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board; about 500 are accredited.

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