OTTAWA — The federal government has launched a wide-ranging review of the RCMP’s long-troubled DNA labs and other forensic services, opening the door to possible private-sector delivery.
The Public Safety Department is seeking advice — including a look at how things are done in other countries — to help determine the best way forward in Canada.
The RCMP’s Forensic Science and Identification Services do biology casework and toxicology tests, examine trace evidence, identify fingerprints, and analyze firearms and ballistics samples.
The government says these services — popularized by television shows such as the various Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) series — have become more important to zeroing in on criminals as well as exonerating innocent people.
Public Safety recently issued a tender calling for a study to determine which models are “feasible and sustainable in the Canadian context.”
The federal outline is the first step in a process that could radically change the way vital crime-solving services are provided to police, Crown lawyers and others. The RCMP laboratories serve much of the country, though Ontario and Quebec have their own forensic labs.
A draft report is due by next September.