tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post3046642568067332700..comments2024-03-25T02:53:26.373-04:00Comments on Women in Crime Ink: Jan Burke and the Crime Lab ProjectUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-60771269541150266212009-09-08T16:58:30.516-04:002009-09-08T16:58:30.516-04:00I can think of few things more foolish than to bas...I can think of few things more foolish than to base all of U.S. public policy on one incident in Scotland. <br /><br />I'm surprised you reached so far -- there have been forensic science scandals here in the U.S. But neither the one in Scotland nor any of those here define all of forensic science in either country. Nor do they prove that all forensic scientists are inherently evil. They do show the need for training and quality control measures within the lab. <br /><br />I won't bother to respond to the aspersions you cast wholesale on the moral character and intelligence of all forensic scientists, except to say that I have found most of them to be dedicated, concerned, and working for low pay because they know they are making a difference in their communities, find the work interesting, and enjoy knowing that every day will bring a new challenge. They work on behalf of victims and their families, seeking justice, and find that satisfying. Not everyone is all about the money. That may be too lofty for you to wrap your head around, but there's nothing I can do about that.<br /><br />The Innocence Project and others have pointed out that among the leading factors in labs where there have been problems is a lack of resources given to the lab, backlogs, and failure to institute quality control measures. Do we need to improve our labs? Yes -- the National Academy of Sciences has recently completed a study on this very subject, and it is worth reading. Lack of funding clearly plays a huge role in the problems facing labs.<br /><br />From the time human beings formed governed societies, public safety and justice have been the responsibility of the government. It is among the most basic of government responsibilities, and should remain public. While some temporary assistance from private companies may help reduce backlogs, privatizing this function completely would be a mistake. There are some things that should not be dependent on profit, and forensic science and justice are among them. There are also plenty of examples of problems with private labs. Human beings make mistakes, no matter who cuts the paycheck.Jan Burkenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6316617410436977874.post-44464867144829120102009-09-08T07:30:33.410-04:002009-09-08T07:30:33.410-04:00A glance at the headlines in the UK about the McKi...A glance at the headlines in the UK about the McKie fingerprint scandal shows that the problem is not with the funding of the crime labs but with the personnel running them and working there. <br /><br />Why fund civil-service fiefdoms? Computers? The purchasing process is more expensive than the darned computer! Nobody in the lab has a Dell account?<br /><br />Personnel? What type of person is drawn to such work that involves routine drudgery for far less money than is available in the private sector?<br /><br />Privatize the crime labs!!FleaStiffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09837830811566745662noreply@blogger.com