State police crime scene unit wins accreditation
<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">The Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services Command has been recognized for meeting strict standards for investigating crimes. </font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">The command is the first stand-alone crime scene unit in the country to receive accreditation from Forensic Quality Services International, officials said Wednesday.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">The accreditation came after a year of scrutiny, including reviews of policies and procedures, training materials and quality-assurance documents.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">"From death investigations to burglaries, our adherence to the procedures and protocols required for accreditation ensure that the agencies who seek our assistance receive the highest-quality services to help them solve crimes, aid victims and successfully prosecute cases in court," State Police Director Larry Trent said in a press release.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Crime Scene Services Command has 61 employees assigned to offices around the state. They perform such tasks as crime scene processing, photograph imaging, two- and three-dimensional diagrams and animations of crash and crime scenes.</font>