5/24/12: New Jersey RCFL Receives Prestigious ASCLD/LAB-International Accreditation

The New Jersey RCFL (NJRCFL) met another milestone today when it was approved for the American Society of Crime Lab Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) International Accreditation Program. NJRCFL, which opened in 2004, achieved ASCLD/LAB Legacy Accreditation in 2006.

To be accredited, a laboratory undergoes an intensive assessment by expert evaluators who assess the qualifications of all laboratory personnel; the laboratory's operational and technical policies, practices, and procedures; and the laboratory's quality management system. According to the ASCLD website, "Accreditation demonstrates that a crime lab's management, personnel, quality system, operational and technical procedures, equipment and physical facilities meet established standards." NJRCFL is accredited in the following areas: Forensic Science Testing - Digital and Multimedia Evidence in the categories of Computer Forensics and Video Analysis.

The NJRCFL is part of the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) Program, a national network of 16 digital forensics laboratories and training centers selected, funded, and administered by the FBI's Operational Technology Division (OTD).

The NJRCFL is managed and staffed by a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations including the FBI - Newark Division, Jersey City Police Department, Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, New Jersey State Police, and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

Twelve of the RCFL network's 16 laboratories are accredited by ASCLD/LAB; the NJRCFL is the third RCFL to achieve International Accreditation. International Accreditation Program is based upon ISO 17025 standards and supplemented by forensic-specific requirements taken from the ASCLD/LAB Legacy Program.

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