State of Louisiana

Department of Civil Service

04/26/07

166520

Last effective date 11/15/06

CRIME LABORATORY MANAGER

FUNCTION OF WORK:

To serve as manager over all Criminalistics or DNA Forensic and CODIS (Combined DNA Indexing System) functions in the State Police Crime Laboratory,

To manage a quality control program for the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory.

LEVEL OF WORK:

Manager.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

Direct from a State Police Captain.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

Direct over Crime Laboratory Analyst Supervisors or functional over all crime laboratory personnel in areas of internal quality control.

LOCATION OF WORK:

Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of State Police, Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory.

JOB DISTINCTIONS:

Differs from Crime Laboratory Analyst Supervisor by having responsibility for all crime laboratory functions.

EXAMPLES OF WORK:

EXAMPLES LISTED BELOW INCLUDE BRIEF SAMPLES OF COMMON DUTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS JOB TITLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT NOT ALL TASKS ARE INCLUDED.

CRIMINALISTICS FUNCTION:

Makes recommendations regarding the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory’s annual budget.

Identifies and applies for federal and state monies to supplement annual budget.

Coordinates and recommends distribution of resources to affected programs.

Manages and oversees the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory Toxicology, Physical Evidence, and Narcotics Units procedures to ensure they are in accordance with applicable departmental, laboratory, and federal standards and reports deficiencies and recommends corrective actions.

Reports and recommends performance information relative to budget development and accountability.

Advises Crime Laboratory Director or higher level agency administrator of and makes recommendations to resolve problems within the program and reports database results which may impact agency funding.

Coordinates and monitors a comprehensive laboratory training program in each Crime Laboratory Criminalistics Unit.

Manages federal grants or other supplemental funding for all Crime Laboratory Criminalistics Units.

Coordinates with all criminal justice agencies (federal, state, parish, municipal) regarding matters pertinent to providing criminalistic laboratory support functions.

Recommends legislative changes to the Crime Lab Director.

Testifies to the legislature regarding justification of proposed programs, new programs, grant application, for all Crime Laboratory Criminalistics Units.

FORENSIC AND CODIS DNA FUNCTIONS:

Assists with response to all legal challenges related to the implementation and enforcement of R.S. 15:601 et seq.

Recommends approval of drafts and modification of DNA forensic and DNA CODIS Units’ policies, procedures, regulations.

Writes and assists in promulgation of administrative rules and regulations to implement R.S. 15:601 et seq. (DNA Detection of Sexual and Violent Offenders Act).

Drafts and monitors contracts with vendors utilized by the DNA forensic and CODIS units.

Makes recommendations regarding the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory’s DNA annual budget.

Identifies and applies for federal and state monies to supplement annual budget.

Coordinates and recommends distribution of resources to offender and forensic DNA profiling programs.

Recommends legislative changes to the Crime Lab Director.

Manages federal grants or other supplemental funding for Crime Laboratory DNA Units.

Oversees training of all DNA personnel for State Police Crime Laboratory.

Makes recommendations for hiring of personnel in the DNA units.

Establishes and manages approved training program for Collection of DNA biological samples for convicted offenders and arrestees.

Coordinates and recommends distribution of resources to offender and forensic DNA profiling programs.

Manages uploading of all forensic DNA profiles into the local, state, and national DNA indexing systems.

Drafts modifications of DNA Forensic and DNA CODIS Units' policies, procedures, and regulations.

Establishes and manages approved training programs.

Provides training to Judiciary and State Prosecutors.

Manages quality assurance programs and oversight of applicable certifications and accreditation of the DNA laboratories by reporting deficiencies and recommending corrective actions.

Ensures audit compliance of local DNA laboratories participating in the National DNA Indexing System for reporting to NDIS Custodian by reporting deficiencies and recommending corrective actions.

Recommends CODIS DNA regulations, policies, and procedures for local and state law enforcement agencies and regional criminalistics laboratories.

Reports non-compliance of and recommends corrective actions to enforce National DNA Indexing System (NDIS) Operational Procedures by local and state law enforcement agencies and regional criminalistics laboratories, which utilize the CODIS database to perform queries.

Recommends suspension of local and state law enforcement agencies including regional criminalistics laboratories, which fail to comply with state CODIS regulations, requirements, and reporting standards.

Reports and recommends performance information relative to budget development and accountability.

QUALITY CONTROL FUNCTION:

Researches, develops, and supervises implementation of quality control/quality assurance and audit procedures.

Investigates technical issues, and recommends appropriate action to correct any deficiencies to ensure accountability and meet laboratory quality assurance goals.

Recommends legislative changes to the Crime Lab Director.

Plans, organizes, conducts, and documents internal audits of the LSP Crime Laboratory to verify that its operation complies with the requirements of the laboratory’s quality control systems.

Supervises, monitors and documents quality control/quality assurance procedures to ensure the LSP Crime Laboratory meets the “American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors / Laboratory Accreditation Board” (ASCLD/LAB) or other accrediting boards guidelines.

Monitors laboratory practices, including instrument calibration and maintenance, appropriate use of reagents, standards and traceability, new method/instrument validation, technical and administrative review of lab reports, training of lab staff, evidence handling and inventory, and case file management, to verify continuing compliance with policies and procedures and recommends corrective action measures as needed.

Monitors and evaluates the LSP Crime Laboratory courtroom testimony program.

Researches and evaluates newly introduced analytical instrumentation and procedures to determine potential forensic application and their effects on the crime laboratory.

Oversees updating of policy and procedural manuals for all crime laboratory units on an annual basis.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A baccalaureate degree in chemistry, biology, zoology, biochemistry, microbiology, medical technology, criminalistics, forensic science, toxicology, or pharmacology plus seven years of professional level laboratory experience, six years of which must have been at the journeyman level or above.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Graduate training in qualifying fields may be substituted for the required general experience on the basis of thirty semester hours for one year of experience.

NOTE:

Any college hours or degree must be from a school accredited by one of the following regional accrediting bodies: the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools; the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Incorporated; the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools; the Northwest Association of Secondary and higher Schools; the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools; the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.