Statistics from the MPD Forensic Services Division

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

It’s National Forensic Science Week, September 15-21. We all watch reruns of Forensic Files, and many other television shows that explain how crimes are sometimes solved through forensic evidence. We have our very own Forensic Services Division within the Minneapolis Police Department. We talked to Shannon Johnson, Director of the Forensic Division, and she provided us a breakdown of how forensic science is used by the MPD. I’m so grateful for the work of these 38 scientists!

Shannon JohnsonGeneral Information

The MPD Forensic Services Division is accredited through the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards and the ANAB Accreditation Requirements for Forensic Testing and Calibration (AR) 3125:2023. Accreditation is required by MN Statute and requires all MPD Forensic Services Division employees to possess the technical skills needed to perform work that meets the highest international standards in forensic science. 

Units in our Division

The Forensic Services Division conducts casework in the following disciplines (the Units in the lab are in bold and listed after the forensic disciplines):

Digital and Video/Imaging Technology and Analysis (Computer Forensics Unit and Video Forensics Unit)

  - Examiners assigned to the Computer Forensics unit perform forensic examinations on items, such as computers, thumb drives, and cellular phones.

  - Forensic Scientists in the Video Forensics unit analyze video for evidentiary content, isolate and enhance still video images, perform audio analysis, recover video from DVRs, perform comparative analysis and prepare timelines.

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Firearms and Toolmarks (Firearms Unit)

  - The Forensic Scientists/Technicians in the Firearms Unit perform examinations on firearm evidence (firearms, bullets and discharged cartridge casings) as well as manage the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) program for MPD.

Headstamp sample. A headstamp includes numerals, letters and symbols (or combination thereof) stamped into the head of a cartridge case or shotshell to identify the manufacturer, caliber, gauge or give additional information.

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Friction Ridge Impressions (Field Operations Unit)

  - Forensic Scientists examine friction ridge impressions (fingerprints) for sufficiency, enter them into AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System), and make comparisons to known impressions.

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Scene Investigation (Field Operations Unit and Forensic Garage)

  - The Field Operations unit examines, documents, processes, and collects evidence at crime scenes and in the laboratory.

  - Vehicles and other large items that are related to a crime are typically examined at the Forensic Garage.

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Staffing

38 staff are assigned to the Forensic Services Division, with this breakdown:

  - Computer forensics – 2

  - Video forensics – 2

  - Firearms – 5

  - Field Operations and Forensic Garage – 24

  - Administration and Quality Assurance – 5

Statistics for 2023

Computer Forensics

  - Processed approximately 430 cell phones 

  - Processed approximately 30 computers

Video Forensics

  - Completed approximately 300 onsite video recoveries

  - Isolated approximately 1,260 still images from videos 

 -  Examined approximately 640 removable media devices

Field Operations and Forensic Garage

  - Processed approximately 1,000 crime scenes

  - Processed approximately 300 vehicles

  - Processed approximately 950 firearms

  - Collected approximately 5,700 DNA swabs 

  - Collected approximately 2,700 friction ridge impression lifts

Firearms

  - Examined approximately 950 firearms

  - Examined approximately 7,700 discharged cartridge casings

  - Conducted approximately 2,330 NIBIN entries resulting in approximately 1,000 NIBIN leads 

  - Conducted approximately 1,230 firearm E-traces 

Forensics lab