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WASHINGTON DC – May 17, 2007 – Expect to hear the untold story about the ‘CSI Effect’ at an upcoming congressional forensic science event this month on Capitol Hill. U.S. crime labs are not well funded, operate in aging facilities, lack the latest equipment, and are not fully staffed. 25% of these public labs do not even have a basic computer for processing evidence.
To raise awareness about these critical issues, the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (www.theCFSO.org) is sponsoring its annual Forensic Science Technology Fair on Capitol Hill Tuesday, May 22, 2007 from 2– 7pm in the Senate Dirksen Office Building in SD-G50.
"Tremendous progress has been made with technology used to collect and evaluate evidence at a crime scene," said Pete Marone, Chair, Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations and Director of the Virginia Department of Forensic Sciences. "However, equipment you see on TV is financially out of reach for many crime labs, forensic testing isn’t completed in an hour and most public crime labs have huge backlogs. We need to address these issues."
U.S. Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) will be recognized at the Forensic Science Tech Fair for his role in securing congressional support for the forensic science community with the “Friend of Forensics Award” during an evening reception.
“Forensic science and scientists are critical components of an effective criminal justice system, and I have long supported federal funding for all disciplines in forensic science – including latent prints or fingerprinting, firearms and ballistics, toxicology, DNA and trace evidence,” said Senator Biden. “In order to keep our communities safe and to help keep criminals off our streets, our crime labs must be well-equipped, and I will be working closely with my colleagues to ensure Congressional support for all forensic science providers.”
The Forensic Science Technology Fair will feature hands-on, technology demonstrations on a broad array of equipment and CSI techniques ranging from the latest in 3-D crime scene mapping, biometrics and fingerprinting, to mobile DNA labs, RFID tags for mass disasters, and more. In addition, several leading members of the national forensics community will be available to answer questions and provide valuable insights on these amazing tools – now finding increasing value in modern crime fighting and prevention.
U.S. Senators Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) are past recipients of this award.
About CFSO CFSO (www.theCFSO.org) is an association of six forensic science professional organizations: American Academy of Forensic Sciences; American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors; American Society of Crime Lab Directors – Laboratory Accreditation Board; Forensic Quality Services; International Association for Identification; and National Association of Medical Examiners. These professional organizations together represent more than 12,000 forensic science professionals across the United States. The mission of the CFSO is to influence public policy at the national level and make a compelling case for greater federal funding for public crime laboratories and medical examiner offices. ###
Press Contact: Melissa Milburn, Melissa(at)MilburnCommunications.com, 206.972.9096
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