D.C. considering taking crime lab away from police control

The D.C. Council is considering a bill that would take away control of its crime laboratory from the police, creating a new government department of forensics that would report directly to the mayor. Councilman Phil Mendelson said the change, which is modeled after Virginia’s forensics department, would create higher standards, fewer errors and more reliable findings. “[The Metropolitan Police Department] should not run the forensic lab,” Mendelson said. “Police are collecting evidence, then analyze it and then testify. It’s more credible if police collect the evidence, give it to scientist and then have the scientist testify.”