WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police is dedicated to the timely and effective administration of justice in America; and

WHEREAS, the IACP is further dedicated to supporting appropriate federal legislation which seeks to improve the administration of justice; and

WHEREAS, forensic sciences are a key element in the timely and fair administration of justice through the solving of crimes and the explanation of death; and

WHEREAS, despite overall reductions in reported crime, the success of forensic sciences in solving crimes and explaining death has resulted in significant increases in demand for these services; and

WHEREAS, forensic sciences are instrumental in the successful apprehension and prosecution of thousands of criminals each year as well as the exoneration of innocent citizens; and

WHEREAS, it has been estimated that 70% of the crime in this country is drug-related, and the strain of thousands of drug arrests and drug seizures places a tremendous burden on the forensic science capabilities of state and local laboratories; and

WHEREAS, at least 90% of the nation’s forensic science services are delivered at the local and state government level; and

WHEREAS, due to significant underfunding, forensic sciences delivered at the local and state level nationwide are experiencing major backlogs which severely threaten the timeliness of quality examinations critical to solving crimes and explaining deaths; and

WHEREAS, this underfunding also severely limits local and state forensic science laboratories’ attempts to acquire the necessary advanced technology, recruit and train qualified scientists, and upgrade facilities; and

WHEREAS, this underfunding is also a major barrier in attempts by local and state forensic science laboratories’ efforts to ensure optimum quality by achieving professional accreditation; and

WHEREAS, this inability of state and local laboratories to keep pace with increased service demands and fully meet quality assurance requirements poses a substantial threat to the timely administration of justice; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 106th Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, fully supports and strongly encourages the passage of the National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act, which will provide grants to existing local and state forensic laboratories to improve productivity, quality measures, overall operations and achieve professional certification based on generally accepted forensic science performance standards, common definitions and protocols.