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During the Second Annual Forensic Science Symposium carried out in Mexico, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division gave a special recognition to the progress being done by the forensics lab in Costa Rica to get accreditation and elevate the level of their work.
“I give special recognition to Costa Rica, which has accredited the forensic disciplines of Chemistry and Genetics. I am confident that your tireless efforts will pay great dividends in your countries, by having a real impact on investigating and deterring crime”, stated Cronan.
The international accreditation of the Forensics Labs was received late 2017 with the support from the US Embassy’s Bureau if International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). “ The labs now fulfill the ISO 17020 and 17025 specifications for forensics topics in toxicology, chemical analysis and biochemistry, which represent 60 percent of the tasks that the forensics labs in Costa Rica perform”.
Some of the remarks made by Cronan help explain the importance of this achievement and its meaning for the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) in Costa Rica:
“Forensic science is an essential law enforcement tool in our shared mission of investigating, combatting, and deterring dangerous criminals that threaten each of our countries. The international accreditation of our forensic evidence laboratories enhances our ability to effectively use the results of forensic science, thereby maximizing its value in our investigations and prosecutions”.
“Accreditation of forensic laboratories is a vital tool in our investigative efforts – whether it be dismantling international drug cartels that unleash deadly poisons like heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl on our communities, or searching for missing victims of violent crimes. Accreditation helps ensure that forensic analysis can be used in these cross-border investigations, by conferring international credibility and evoking trust from our courts”.
Costa Rica has the only labs accredited in Central America and the third accredited labs in Latin America.
The results of the Costa Rican Forensics Labs are at the same level and have the same validity as labs from the United States, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office, and the Brazilian Federal Police.
