Securing a Seat at the Table: How States Support Forensic Science Initiatives

Across the United States, state and local law enforcement agencies face increasing demands to prevent victimization and respond to crimes in their communities. Crime data on specific incidents, as collected through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), can be useful to determine where the most pressing needs are and can clearly illustrate the challenges facing local law enforcement as the complexity of cases increases. Officers and agencies are expected to respond with CSI-like technology while facing limited resources or budget cuts. Fortunately, a variety of sources provide funding for forensic science–related equipment and projects, including one potential untapped resource for law enforcement agencies: the State Administering Agencies (SAAs).