CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION > Crime Lab Info   Auto Detail   Warrants   Crime Lab   Task Force   Family Assistance   HIDTA The Crime Laboratory Division of the Sheriff’s Department is comprised of four sections, Evidence Collection, Photography, Firearms/Toolmark, I.B.I.S. and Fingerprints. These sections service all agencies within the county, local, state, and federal. The Evidence Recovery section is responsible for the documentation and recovery of evidence at major crime scenes throughout the county. All cities and towns utilize their services for violent crimes. This section specializes in the collection, packaging, preservation, and presentation of evidence for major trials. The Photography section is responsible for the development and printing of crime scene and accident photographs. This section also produces mugshots from negatives. The Fingerprint section is responsible for the classification and filing of all fingerprints taken of inmates in the jail. This section is also responsible for the comparison of inked fingerprints with latent lifts recovered from various crime scenes. These comparisons are requested by L.C.P.D. and other agencies within the county. They also provide expert testimony in court as to their identifications. The Firearm/Toolmark section has the responsibility of examining firearm evidence recovered from the scenes and autopsies. The examinations and comparisons of weapons to bullets and casings are necessary for identification of a weapon used at a crime scene. Toolmarks are also examined in the hopes of identifying the specific tool that made a mark at a burglary scene. Expert court testimony is provided to their findings. The Integrated Ballistics Identification System, a section of Firearms, is a computerized system that compares bullets and casings recovered at crime scenes and recovered weapons. The system searches its database and correlates its findings. This enables investigators to tie previously unrelated scenes together. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION > Crime Lab > Back to Top