Forensic Investigation Unit

The Ross Police Forensic Investigation Unit handles a wide variety of forensic applications.

Crime Laboratory

The Forensic Investigation Unit has a crime laboratory at the station to assist in processing collected items forDSC_0081 forensic evidence.  It has a large vehicle processing bay at the department’s annex where they are able to process multiple vehicles, and large commercial vehicles in a secured environment.  This bay also has its own crime laboratory for processing collected items.  In addition, the unit maintains a mobile unit able to respond and process a wide variety of crime scenes ranging from suspicious death and sexual assault to burglary and thefts. 

  • Forensics Lab Crime Scenes - The lab is equipped with a full complement of equipment and supplies for response to any major crimes. The capabilities include but are not limited to crime scene photography, latent print collection, DNA and other blood evidence collection, blood spatter analysis, shooting scene analysis, shoe and tire impression casting, and trace fiber collection.
  • In-house Evidence Processing - The crime lab also compliments the Patrol and Detective Divisions with criminal investigations. Evidence collected is often processed in the crime lab primarily for latent fingerprint development.
  • Traffic Accident Investigations - The forensic investigation unit assists the traffic department in accident reconstruction by photographing serious accident scenes and assisting with the proper collection of evidentiary items.

Purpose

The Ross Police Department Forensic Investigation Unit is an integral part of the functioning of the Ross Township Police Department. The lab assists with hundreds of cases each year, which aids the department in the identification and prosecution of criminal offenders. The unit works closely with the crime laboratory at the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner and the officers assigned to this unit are dedicated to the enhancement of public safety through the application of forensic science.