ANNUAL REPORT

CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT  

Crime Lab Director’s Annual Report

Bill Dean

2004---Another  year of changes

            Every year brings changes and we can only hope that they represent improvements not retrograde retrenchments.  In 2004 most of the changes arose from staff realignments.  Co-lab director Dr. Powers left the Toxicology Section to tackle challenges in the Connecticut State Crime Lab.  After an unfulfilling search to find a replacement, Dr. Walker was promoted to supervisor of the section.  Ernie Chaffin, a thoroughly experienced clinical toxicologist, was hired to help fill the void at the bench.  Already Ernie has been able to breathe life into our moribund liquid chromatograph so that we can develop applications for both the Toxicology and Drug Sections. 

            We were also lucky to be able to hire Denny Pohl, a retired Cincinnati Police Officer who has extensive experience with the property room operations.  As a temporary grant supported firearms technician, Denny advised us on establishing procedures for the submission of evidence to build up our NIBIN firearms database.  NIBIN is the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network although in the strictest sense it is neither “National” nor “Ballistic.”   It is a searchable database of bullet and cartridge images that helps link investigations.  With the cooperation of the Hamilton County Sheriff, Cincinnati Police, and several other major police departments, we are now entering images of evidence from guns we would not have seen previously.  We have already made some “hits” on the database and expect more as we approach critical mass.  Also in 2004, a firearms and toolmark examiner position was added to the lab although we continue to search for an experienced candidate.  The increases in firearms homicides and shooting investigations over the past few years have exceeded the capacity of Bill Schrand and Mike Lehnhoff to process them.  Even the assistance of cross-trained Drug Analysts Brian Scowden and Jeff Reineke has been inadequate to reduce the backlog.

            The increase in shooting cases also affected the Trace Evidence Section.  Mat Wyatt and Mike Trimpe continued to struggle with the increasing maintenance problems of an aging scanning electron microscope- energy dispersive X-ray automated gunshot residue analysis system.  The system has been running 24 hours a day almost every day since 1991.  In 2004 Mat and Mike were able to complete the purchasing process for a new system.  The new system will arrive in 2005.  At a cost of over $180,000 this was no small change for our equipment budget.

            The lab also experienced other changes to the building and equipment.  Because of the transition to digital imaging from classical halide based photography, the darkroom became redundant.  The conversion of the old darkroom to new uses was finally completed with the help of the Hamilton County electricians, carpenters, and painters.  Counters and cabinets were moved from the darkroom to the firearms range.  Lockable storage cabinets were then installed for serology/ DNA evidence.  Evidence Technicians Starlyne Dumas and Nicole Wagner have already crammed these with evidence items for Joan Burke and Bill Harry to examine.  Part of the room was also designed for fingerprint development.  Although we only develop latent prints on evidence submitted for other exams, it was important to consolidate this effort in a central location.  Mat Wyatt in the Trace Evidence Section, with Drug Analysts Jeri-Ann Beck and Laura Kimble has now been trained to assume this task.  Along similar lines, the Drug Section assumed responsibility from the Toxicology Section for analyzing open container beverage alcohol cases.  As these are just another type of “controlled substance,” it is appropriate that the transfer be accomplished.

            All these changes indicate that the crime laboratory is not stagnant but continues to march forward in small steps and giant leaps toward a future defined by technicians, techniques and technology.

Laboratory

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