Sec. 29-7b. Division of Scientific Services.
Sec. 29-7b. Division of Scientific Services. (a) There shall be within the Department of Public Safety a Division of Scientific Services. The Commissioner of Public
Safety shall serve as administrative head of such division, and may delegate jurisdiction
over the affairs of such division to a deputy commissioner.
(b) The Division of Scientific Services shall provide technical assistance to law
enforcement agencies in the various areas of scientific investigation. The division shall
maintain facilities and services for the examination and analysis of evidentiary materials
in areas including, but not limited to, chemistry, arson, firearms, questioned documents,
microscopy, serology, toxicology, trace evidence, latent fingerprints, impressions and
other similar technology. The facilities, services and personnel of the division shall be
available, without charge, to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and all duly
constituted prosecuting, police and investigating agencies of the state.
(c) The Division of Scientific Services: (1) May investigate any physical evidence
or evidentiary material related to a crime upon the request of any federal, state or local
agency, (2) may conduct or assist in the scientific field investigation at the scene of a
crime and provide other technical assistance and training in the various fields of scientific
criminal investigation upon request, (3) shall assure the safe custody of evidence during
examination, (4) shall forward a written report of the results of an examination of evidence to the agency submitting such evidence, (5) shall render expert court testimony
when requested, and (6) shall conduct ongoing research in the areas of the forensic
sciences. The Commissioner of Public Safety or a deputy commissioner designated by
the commissioner shall be in charge of the Division of Scientific Services operations and
shall establish and maintain a system of case priorities and a procedure for submission of
evidence and evidentiary security.
(d) In accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39, all powers
and duties of the Department of Public Health under the provisions of sections 14-227a,
14-227c, 15-140u and 21a-283 shall be transferred to the Division of Scientific Services
within the Department of Public Safety.
(P.A. 83-66, S. 1, 2; P.A. 99-218, S. 1, 16.)
History: P.A. 99-218 replaced former Subsec. (a) which had created the Forensic Science Laboratory with new provisions creating the Division of Scientific Services, made remaining part of former Subsec. (a) a new Subsec. (b), specified
in Subsec. (b) that the division would be available without charge to certain agencies, redesignated former Subsec. (b) as
Subsec. (c), provided in Subsec. (c) for the commissioner or a deputy commissioner to head the division, and added Subsec.
(d) which specified the transfer of certain Department of Public Health powers and duties to the division, effective July
1, 1999.
See Sec. 29-7h re duties concerning firearms evidence databank.
See Secs. 54-102g to 54-102l, inclusive, re duties concerning DNA analysis and establishment and maintenance of
DNA databank.