Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: the Role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Opening Statement By Chairman David Wu

Good morning. I want to welcome everyone to this morning’s hearing. The spur for this hearing was the release of a recent National Academy of Sciences report: “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward.” This report makes a number of recommendations on how to improve forensic science in the United States. Many of the recommendations ask for research that supports forensic science and for standards and accreditation to ensure the validity, accuracy, and reliability of forensic science testing.

The purpose of today’s hearing is to determine whether we can build on the resources and expertise at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to implement some of the report’s recommendations. The report suggests creating an entirely new department to govern forensics issues and calls for this new department to work with NIST. Given the current economic climate I would like to explore how we can build upon and improve existing federal capabilities rather than trying to create a whole new government structure. We have all learned from the creation of the Department of Homeland Security that legislating a new agency is far easier than executing on the implementation of the new agency.

I fully support the goal of the report to improve forensic science in the United States. The popular television show Crime Scene Investigation, better known as CSI, has raised public awareness and expectation of the role of forensic science in solving crimes; however, the show depicts the practice of forensics in a manner that is far different from the current state of technology. I hope this hearing is a first step in moving from entertainment to reality.

We have an experienced and distinguished panel of witnesses today who all have important and busy jobs. I want to thank them for taking the time to appear before the Subcommittee today. I look forward to hearing their views and advice on how to move the process forward. We all want to support our law enforcement and judicial processes by providing them with the best forensic science base possible.
 

Witnesses

Panel

0 - Mr. Pete Marone
Director of Technical Services Virginia Department of Forensic Science Virginia Department of Forensic Science
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0 - Ms. Carol Henderson
Director of the National Clearing House for Science, Technology and the Law Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law Past President, the American Aca
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0 - Mr. John Hicks
Director Office of Forensic Services New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (Ret.) Office of Forensic Services New York State Division of Criminal
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0 - Mr. Peter Neufeld
Co-Founder and Co-Director The Innocence Project The Innocence Project
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0 - Dr. J.C. Upshaw Downs
Coastal Regional Medical Examiner Georgia Bureau of Investigation Georgia Bureau of Investigation
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