Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 661 - Public Safety Department › Chapter 150 - Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory › Rule 661-150.3 - Laboratory Capabilities

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
The laboratory is capable of performing any forensic scientific
				analysis for which a laboratory staff member has received appropriate training
				and for which the necessary equipment and materials are available to the staff
				member performing the analysis.
The following subrules catalogue and explain specific
				laboratory capabilities. These descriptions and explanations are provided for
				informational purposes and in no way limit the authority of the laboratory to
				perform any analysis for which a staff person is appropriately trained and for
				which necessary equipment and materials are available. Further information
				regarding the current forensic science capabilities of the laboratory may be
				obtained in the Iowa Criminalistics Laboratory Quality Assurance Manual,
				published by the division of criminal investigation criminalistics
				laboratory.
(1)
Crime scene
			 response.
The laboratory may assist law enforcement agencies, when
			 appropriate, by responding to a crime scene and may examine, collect and
			 preserve physical evidence.
(2)
Breath alcohol section.
The breath alcohol section provides
			 testing, approval, repair, maintenance and certification of breath testing
			 instruments, provides officer training and certification in the use of
			 evidential breath testing equipment, and provides expert testimony in the area
			 of breath testing instrumentation and the effects of alcohol on the human
			 body.
(3)
Controlled
			 substance identification.
The laboratory will identify and quantify,
			 when appropriate, materials suspected to contain controlled substances, and
			 will identify items of significance recovered from clandestine drug
			 laboratories.
(4)
DNA.
The laboratory will examine evidence for human biological
			 samples and characterize the samples using DNA technologies.
(5)
DNA profiling.
The
			 laboratory will generate and maintain DNA profiles from qualifying
			 offenders.
(6)
Firearms.
The firearms section examines firearms, ammunition
			 and ammunition components to determine whether a specific firearm fired a
			 specific bullet or cartridge case or, lacking a specific firearm, to determine
			 the possible type of firearm which could have fired the evidentiary bullets and
			 cartridge cases. The firearms section also reconstructs shooting scenes to
			 determine the distance from the muzzle of the firearm to the target, and
			 examines firearms to determine if they function as designed or have been
			 altered from the original design.
The firearms section also maintains a reference collection of
				firearms and ammunition for comparison purposes and is responsible for the
				inventory and destruction of firearms forfeited to the laboratory under the
				Iowa Code.
(7)
Latent prints and impressions.
The latent prints and
			 impressions section:
a. Examines evidence for
			 visible or latent prints.
b. Makes
			 comparisons to known friction skin exemplars of the fingers, palms and soles of
			 the feet.
c. Examines footwear,
			 tire tracks, and other impression evidence and compares the evidence to known
			 exemplars.