ST. LOUIS — Welcome to the Illinois State Forensics lab.
“This laboratory directly serves 32 counties in the metro east and southern Illinois, we serve state, local, county and some federal agencies,” says Adams.
The lab covers several forms of investigation from drug chemistry, trace chemistry, latent prints, firearms, toolmarks, footwear, tire tracks and of course, DNA.
Built in 2014, the center houses forensic scientists, crime scene investigators, and the Illinois state police accident reconstruction unit. Serving both local and state-wide cases.
“This facility is in the heart of our metro east area. Serves and is directly accessible to all of our communities, and hopes to solve the crime problem and provide direct support to the communities around us,” says Adams.
But it is more than a lab, it is a place of education, too.
“One of the ways we have been able to reduce the backlog of forensics in this state whether its firearms, DNA, toxicology, drug chemistry is by better training, making sure our forensic scientists are trained in the most up to date techniques, and have the expertise they need to be able to process these cases and get this evidence reviewed and processed quickly,” says Brendan F. Kelly, Director of Illinois State Police.
Director of Illinois State police, Brendan Kelly, explains it has been a dream for nearly 20 years to house an institution capable of providing forensics education. Now, it has been deemed the official lab for the state of Illinois for training forensic scientists. According to Director Kelly, beyond that, too.
“That is also true for training for consumers of forensics such as law enforcement, other police departments, prosecutors, judges, coroners, anybody who has a role in forensic investigations,” says Kelly.
In fact, this lab is the result of an incredible partnership. The Illinois State Police worked alongside the City of Belleville to bring the Southwestern Illinois College Police Academy , and the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission here, too. With a laboratory and classroom space, this partnership provides expertise for people all across the state.
“The beauty of it, beside housing the forensic lab, is that we also have the police academy here, we have people working with the sheriffs,” says Patty Gregory, Mayor of the City of Belleville. “It has helped increase our police department’s numbers. Putting more police on the street. It makes my heart sing when I drive by and see all these police cars from all over Illinois all here to be working at the Police Academy.”
For further information, call (618) 222-8400 or visit isp.illinois.gov.
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