QUALITY ASSURANCE

The San Diego Sheriff's Crime Laboratory was accredited in December of 2003 by the American Society of Crime Lab Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB). This accreditation requires the laboratory to have a person designated as the QA Manager. The QA Manager is essentially the guardian who watches over the performance of the laboratory to ensure that it follows the accreditation standards at all times.

The QA Manager keeps personnel records of:

• Educational Background
• Training
• Courtroom Testimony Monitoring
• Proficiency Testing
  

The QA Manager oversees the yearly laboratory audits:

• Individual section audits of the eight sections
• Management audit/review
• Quality System Review
  

The QA Manager makes sure that manuals get reviewed yearly and that the old versions are archived.

The QA Manager keeps abreast of changes in the accreditation requirements and sees to it that the laboratory keeps current in its practices.