Our laboratory is considering whether or not to offer the service of Gunshot Residue Analysis for Distance Determination, and we would like to get an idea of what other labs are doing in terms of casework. I'd like to take an unofficial survey with the following questions in order to assist the decision makers. Thanks for your participation.
1. Does your laboratory offer Distance Determination testing?
2. Approximately how large is your agency and/or jurisdiction that your laboratory serves? (small local, large county, large city, high crime/many shootings per year, etc.)
3. Approximately how many requests/cases per year do you (a. your lab, b. you as individual) receive for this service?
4. Do any of your Firearms Examiners respond to crime scenes: in general? case by case basis? specifically for these types of cases?
5. Does your agency have a separate Crime Scene Unit that handles all shooting scene cases?
6. Does your agency receive the clothing directly from the Medical Examiner, or is it retrieved in another capacity?
7. Is there a protocol in place in your unit or agency that deals specifically with packaging of evidence as it relates to testing of this nature?
8. Do you receive feedback from requestors (investigators, prosecutors, etc.) or via the judicial process that this testing was beneficial to answering key questions of the case?
Any additional information that can be provided pertaining to the practicality, feasibility, and utility of your laboratory offering this service is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your assistance.