The St. Louis County Crime Laboratory has been a forensic service provider to the citizens of St. Louis County for nearly fifty years (July 1966). The laboratory currently services the St. Louis County Police Department, nearly ninety municipal police agencies within St. Louis County, as well as several federal agencies. The laboratory is tasked with providing scientific analyses of physical evidence for these agencies while also offering training of a scientific nature to officers in the law enforcement community. Forensic scientists at the lab use specialized skills to identify, evaluate, and objectively describe evidence from crime scenes, generate reports of these findings, and testify to the results for the judicial system.
The crime laboratory offers forensic services in the following categories of testing: Bodily Fluid, Identification, Nuclear DNA, Controlled Substances, Fire Debris, Explosives, Firearms and Toolmark Examination, and Digital Evidence. The Photography Unit of the crime laboratory stores digital images and makes prints upon request.
In order to assure compliance with national testing standards, the Biology/DNA section gained accreditation through the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) in 2004. In 2005, the St. Louis County Crime Lab was awarded and has maintained accreditation through a national accrediting board. See Scope of Accreditation for specific categories of testing.
The crime laboratory receives an average of 8000 requests to test evidence, which results in approximately 75,000 tests and 24,000 items tested annually. The laboratory utilizes forensic databases as essential crime fighting tools which have provided and continue to provide important investigative leads for law enforcement. Database “hits” are routinely processed in the Firearms and DNA sections. Annual monies are received through local and federal grants to upgrade instrumentation, validate new technologies, provide training for scientists, and increase efficiency and capacity within the sections.
***At this time, the St. Louis County Crime Lab does not employ interns or give lab tours. Thank you.***