Los Angeles Police Department officials and others gathered at the Los Angeles Police Museum on Monday, Oct. 23, to celebrate 100 years of work performed by LAPD’s Forensic Science and Technical Investigation divisions. The two divisions are led by Technical Investigation Division Commanding Officer Tatiana Garcia, and Commanding Officer for the Forensic Science Division, Gabriel Gnanapragasam.
Together their teams collect, analyze, and archive more than 15,000 items annually.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore expressed his pride in the departments stating, “The pursuit of justice for victims is what this crime lab does.” Moore added, “They seek to find evidence that demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that the individuals responsible for such heinous acts as murder, or something more simple as a stolen vehicle, will be brought to justice.”
Not only do the two divisions collect information and evidence but they also archive it so that as science advances more crimes can be solved.
The people working in these divisions also have the task of identifying innocent individuals and eliminating those suspected of the crime so they can identify the person responsible. Because of the weight of justice for innocent and guilty people, Chief Moore said, “The key is hiring the right individuals, people with values, high integrity, and the proper technical skill set, and those who understand the critical balance they hold is in their work each day.”
Gnanapragasam highlighted the value of supportive collaboration with Los Angeles leadership and private entities. One such highlight occurred in 2008 when the Los Angeles Police Foundation donated $1.4 million to analyze a backlog of sexual assault kits. Since then the LAPD has maintained a zero backlog. State law requires that sexual assault kits be analyzed within 120 days. The LAPD Forensic Science Division analyzes all kits within 90 days as standard practice.
One clear message of the event was that the LAPD is hiring not only sworn officers but civilians with much-needed skill sets.