On March 1, 2019, the Spokane County Sheriff Forensic Unit became one of five ANAB accredited forensic units/labs in the State of Washington. The Forensic Unit staff has worked incredibly hard to obtain this goal and now is accredited in three disciplines: Friction Ridge (Fingerprints), Crime Scenes, and Digital Evidence.
The long and detailed process to gain ANAB/ANSI Accreditation began in early 2017, and it took every member of the unit, working together, to obtain this goal.
The Spokane County Sheriff Forensic Unit is the only unit or lab in the State of Washington that has obtained accreditation in Digital Evidence. The lab is additionally accredited in Friction Ridge (fingerprint processing and comparisons, one of five agencies in the state) and Crime Scenes (one of three in the state).
“We are proud of the Forensic Unit’s accomplishment and this is something everyone in Spokane County, and the region, should be proud of as well,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said in an April 18 news release. “They all worked incredibly hard to earn this and the citizens should know they have one of the finest, hardworking Forensic Units in the state.”
ANAB is an independent, third-party accreditation provider that assesses agency’s compliance with international ISO/IEC standards. In order to maintain accreditation, an agency must pass an initial assessment, and continue with yearly audits to assure ongoing compliance.
The Forensic Unit’s accreditation will be valid until April of 2023 where they will need to show they continue to meet or exceed the ANAB/ANSI Accreditation Standards.
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