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Forensic Disciplines
Forensic Chemistry Impression Evidence
Forensic Biology Trace Evidence
Forensic Toxicology Breath Alcohol
Latent Fingerprints
Questioned Documents
Firearms & Toolmarks
Forensic Chemistry
• Analyzes controlled substances such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, and marijuana, as well as confiscated prescription drugs and paraphernalia.
 
• Analyzes controlled substances and controlled substance precursors found in clandestine laboratories and determines theoretical yield from chemicals present.
 
• Examines unknown substances for identification or comparison.

Forensic Biology
• Examines physical evidence for the presence of body fluids and tissue to identify type of stain and species of origin.
 
• Provides DNA analysis to state law enforcement officers.
 
• Compares DNA from unsolved cases to a computerized Convicted Offender Database to develop investigate leads.

Forensic Toxicology
• Analyzes blood and urine samples to determine whether a person was driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Latent Fingerprints
• Processes evidence to develop latent fingerprints.
 
• Compares known fingerprints to latent fingerprints recovered from crime scenes.
 
• Identifies suspects using a state-of-the-art Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

Questioned Documents
• Makes obliterated and altered documents readable using infrared and ultraviolet light source.
 
• Compares handwriting and printing samples associated with a crime to samples of a known suspect or victim.
 
• Compares typewriting, rubber stamp impression, mechanical printing, and reproductions by duplicating the process with known samples.
 
• Detects and develops indented writing.
 
• Examines and compares paper, inks, and writing instruments.

Firearms & Toolmarks
• Examines bullets and cartridge cases to determine possible weapons used.
 
• Compares rifles, shotguns, handguns, or other firearms recovered from a crime scene to ammunition components such as bullets, cartridge cases, shot shell cases, shot shell wads, pellets and slugs.
 
• Examines clothing and body wounds to determine the distance between the weapon and target.
 
• Compares marks left by tools used at a crime scene with suspect tools.
 
• Examines and restores obliterated serial numbers.
 
• Identifies suspects and links shootings using a state-of-the-art National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

Impression Evidence
• Examines tire tracks and footwear impressions to identify possible source of the impression.
 
• Compares tire tracks and footwear impressions with tires or footwear collected from suspect.

Trace Evidence
• Compares paint, glass, hair, and fibers that may have transferred between the crime scene, the people involved and objects used.
 
• Examines other microscopic evidence for identification or comparison.

Breath Alcohol
• Train and certify law enforcement officers to operate breath alcohol testing instrumentation.
 
• Test and certify the accuracy of breath alcohol testing instrumentation throughout the state of Oregon.

 
Page updated: October 12, 2007

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