The Forensic Services Bureau operates from a specialized facility and is composed of three units: Crime Scene Unit Photographic Unit Fingerprint Unit

The responsibilities of the Crime Scene Unit include:

• 24-hour availability to respond to major crime scenes,
• Detailed crime scene documentation through the use of video, photographs, notes and sketches,
• Evidence identification, documentation, collection and preservation,
• Court testimony and presentation of evidence, photographs, sketches and visual aids in court proceedings,
• The use of various chemical and physical processes to develop fingerprints on items of evidentiary value,
• Obtaining still photographs from surveillance videos,
• The deployment of specialized equipment and scientific methods when called upon by unique investigative needs,
• Providing training to Department members and citizen groups.

The responsibilities of the Photographic Unit include:

• Management of sophisticated photo processing equipment,
• Film processing and negative archival,
• Processing all Department-wide requests for photographs,
• Providing training of Department personnel in basic and advanced photo techniques,
• The enlargement of photographs for use in court proceedings,
• Portraits of Department members.

The responsibilities of the Fingerprint Unit include:

• Processing arrest records generated by Department members,
• Scanning and inputting inked fingerprint cards into the statewide fingerprint system, NOVARIS / AFIS,
• Evaluating latent fingerprints collected from crime scenes,
• Performing comparisons between questioned and known fingerprints,
• Providing training to Criminal Justice Academy recruits on the history of fingerprint identification, latent processing techniques, and how to properly collect inked fingerprints,
• Court testimony and preparation of fingerprint charts for use in court proceedings.