Much criticism relating to delays in processing DNA and DNA backlogs has been levelled at the police’s forensic science laboratory in recent years. It is, however, encouraging that South African Police Service statistics show that while backlogs were substantial from 2004 to 2006, the situation has since improved.

Despite this, the Criminal Record and Forensic Science Service (CRFSS) in the SAPS still faces several challenges, notably the high cost of training, low salaries, high staff turnover in the CRFSS and problems relating to evidence collection at crime scenes.”

Bilkis Omar, Institute for Security Studies
SA CRIME QUARTERLY No 23 • MARCH 2008 29

The Criminal Record and Forensic Science Service (CRFSS) was established in May

2005 as a division of the SAPS falling under the deputy national commissioner of crime

intelligence and crime detection. Previously known as the Forensic Science Laboratory and the Criminal Record Centre, it fell under the detective service. Now a division on its own, it provides ‘an even more integrated approach to the analysis of exhibits and the presentation of expert evidence; [and] expensive and scarce resources such as the photographic laboratory and crime scene equipment are also shared’ (SAPS 2006).

Overview and components of the CRFSS

The purpose of the CRFSS is ‘to render criminal record and forensic science services to the SAPS in order to effectively prevent and combat crime’ (SAPS 2007a). The  allocated operational budget for the CRFSS for 2006/07 was R156 687 000 and an extra R36m has been allocated for equipment (Du Toit 2007). The main facility is located in Silverton in Pretoria, with an additional biology unit in Arcadia. The laboratory in Cape Town has most of the forensic functions, while the laboratories in Durban and Port Elizabeth provide chemistry and ballistics analysis.

The CRFSS is headed by a divisional commissioner, and includes three components: the Criminal Record Centre (CRC), Technology and Technical Management (TTM), and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) (see Diagram 1).
The functions of the CRFSS are:

• The application of forensic science in respect of crime prevention and crime detection [FSL]

• The management of criminal records and the application of sophisticated techniques to recover physical evidence from crime scenes [CRC]

• The facilitation of technology development in the SAPS and the rendering of support services to the division [TTM] (SAPS 2007a)
Forensic Science Laboratory

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) comprises the biology, chemistry, scientific analysis, ballistics, ‘questioned document’ and explosives units.

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