Birth of the FBI's
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Introduction
I'm Dwight Adams, Director of the FBI laboratory now located in our new facility in Quantico, Virginia. The FBI laboratory began as a vision back in 1928. Special Agent Samuel Hardy wrote a memo to then Director J. Edgar Hoover. In that memo, he wanted to create a laboratory to assist in their investigations. That memo went on to say that there was no reason why this laboratory can't be the best of its kind in the world. Well, I believe today that vision of Special Agent Hardy's has come to fruition. Today with the creation of the new facility that vision has come to a reality. Not only do we already have world class technologies and world class individuals applying those technologies, but now we have a world class facility in which to apply that trade.
Q&A
First, to educate people who may not know, how are forensic laboratories different from regular laboratories? What are some of the features of this laboratory that make it unique?
Forensic laboratories are different than other types of laboratories in that we apply science to the criminal justice system. We use scientific techniques in exploiting evidence, and our main goal is to attribute that evidence to a crime scene or to an individual. Our ultimate goal is to identify an individual responsible for a crime or to exonerate that individual as being responsible.
It has been said that more than one million examinations are conducted by the FBI laboratory each year; will these new facilities help to increase that number?
By moving into the FBI laboratory facility it doesn't necessarily mean that we will now be able to conduct more exams, or conduct those exams faster. But what it will do is provide us with an environment in which to facilitate research and development to develop those new techniques and technologies that will speed the process up. Let me give you one example: DNA, when we began doing DNA testing back in 1988, it would take us six weeks to conduct one test. We began doing it at the J. Edgar Hoover Building where our old laboratory facility was. Well, just prior to moving down here, we were doing the same DNA testing, and it would take two days instead of six weeks. So you see the facility didn't augment or enhance the time it takes to do a test, but what did help was new technology developed.
How will the moving of the laboratory from FBI Headquarters to this newly-built facility in Quantico affect the turn-around time for lab examinations?
Turn-around time for lab examinations is not going to necessarily be influenced by the new facility. But what it does do is create an environment in which we can be assured of contamination free exams. But the same technologies will be applied here as in the old facility.
Will the new labs help reduce current case back-logs or prevent future case back-logs?
This new laboratory facility won't necessarily eliminate case back-logs, but what it will do is provide the type of location and facility in which to conduct research and development for new techniques not only for our laboratory but for all forensic laboratories across the country.
The FBI has pioneered and implemented many techniques used in forensic analysis. Does this new laboratory facility offer space and personnel for further research and development?
Research and development within the FBI laboratory is a priority. In fact, Congress recently provided us with an enhancement to our R&D effort. And that enhancement is now being applied in numerous R&D projects. Those projects are designed to create new technologies to apply to cases in order to get better results, faster results, and cheaper results.
Does the new laboratory facility house any classrooms or training labs that may be used to train outside law enforcement personnel?
The new FBI laboratory does not contain a training laboratory per se. That facility is still located at the Forensic Science Research and Training Center at the main Academy grounds. We will continue training in our forensic techniques at that facility.
At the groundbreaking ceremony for this new lab facility, Former Director Louis Freeh stated that the construction of the new facility would prepare the FBI to meet the challenges of the 21st century. What do you think some of those challenges might be, and how will this new lab help meet those challenges?
The challenges of the 21st century that we see in the FBI laboratory can be clearly defined in the recent examples of the Anthrax investigation. Those challenges are primarily going to be in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events in which we have to apply our forensic techniques, our traditional forensic techniques, to those type of investigations.
I know quality assurance is a big issue for forensic laboratories all over the world. Does the technology incorporated into the building of this new laboratory help the FBI maintain a higher standard of quality assurance?
Quality assurance has become a top priority for the FBI laboratory. And this new facility will enhance our ability to have the best quality assurance program possible. For example: The design of this building has completely separated the laboratory from office space, enhancing the quality of the exams that we are able to conduct. Also, evidence and the flow of evidence through this laboratory will be on different elevators and in different hallways than regular traffic hallways in this building.
You have talked in the past about the effect of September 11 on the priorities of the FBI. How have the events of that day changes the role of the FBI laboratory?
The priorities of the FBI have changed since September 11, and therefore the FBI laboratory has had to change our priorities. One of those changes had been in the prevention of crimes. We have put a number of efforts in regard to preventing future crimes. To begin with the National DNA Index System was created. That National DNA Index System has already solved over 6,000 cases across the United States. That has prevented literally thousands of cases from occurring because we were able to remove the perpetrator from the streets before other crimes could be committed.
