The D.C. Council on Tuesday unanimously approved the creation of the Department of Forensics to oversee the city’s $250 million crime lab that’s set to open next year.
At-large Councilman Phil Mendelson introduced the bill creating the department earlier this year because, he said, the executive branch was having trouble deciding who would run the lab. By creating an independent department, Mendelson said he believes the city will be able to bring greater weight and accuracy when prosecuting criminal cases in the courtroom.
“We’ve had issues with (alcohol breath tests), and that all speaks to the need of having scientists doing independent work,” Mendelson told The Washington Examiner.
It’s now up to Mayor Vince Gray to implement the bill, which puts a board of directors in charge of the crime lab. The mayor has until Oct. 1, 2012 to put the pieces of the department together, the bill says.
