During its 46th Annual Symposium, the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) presented fourteen forensic laboratories with the Foresight Maximus Award, a distinction recognizing the top performing forensic laboratories in the world based on Foresight business metrics.
Started in 2007 by a cooperative agreement between the West Virginia University College of Business and Economics and the National Institute of Justice, the Foresight program is a business-guided, self-evaluation of forensic science laboratories, which began with local, regional, state, and national agencies in North America. Over the years, the program has expanded to include several laboratories in Europe. Economics, accounting, finance, and forensic faculty from WVU provide assistance, guidance, and analysis. The process involves standardizing definitions for metrics to evaluate work processes, linking financial information to work tasks, and functions.[1] The program has grown over time and its success had led to numerous journal publications, countless laboratory efficiency improvements across the U.S. and a supplementary program with funding by the Laura and John Arnold foundation to examine the interface between Foresight metrics and Laboratory Information Management Systems. Based on the success of the program and the gains seen by forensic laboratories, ASCLD has sought to begin recognizing peak performing laboratories at its Annual Symposium.
The 2019 Foresight Maximus award was presented to participant laboratories operating at 90% or better of peak efficiency.
“ASCLD is proud to partner with project FORESIGHT creators to recognize top performing forensic laboratories,” commented ASCLD President Brooke Arnone. “These high performing laboratories have improved efficiency and productivity while creating transparency and accountability for their stakeholders and customers. Citizens, customers, and stakeholders that provide funding for laboratories should be very proud of the work that has been done.”
The following forensic laboratories are 2019 Foresight Maximus award winners:
- Arkansas State Crime Laboratory – Little Rock, Arkansas
- Broward County Sheriff’s Office – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Centre of Forensic Sciences – Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Chandler Police Department Forensic Services Division – Chandler, Arizona
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Crime Laboratory – Charlotte, North Carolina
- Denver Police Department Crime Laboratory – Denver, Colorado
- Organismo de Investigation Judicial Forensic Science Department – Heridia, Costa Rica
- Fort Worth Police Department Digital Forensic Laboratory – Fort Worth, Texas
- Franklin County Coroner’s Office Forensic Toxicology Laboratory – Columbus, Ohio
- Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation – London, Ohio
- Orange County Sheriff-Coroner OC Crime Laboratory – Santa Ana, California
- Texas Department of Public Safety CODIS Laboratory – Austin, Texas
- The Swedish Authority National Forensic Centre – Linkoping, Sweden
- Tulsa Police Department Forensic Laboratory Division – Tulsa, Oklahoma
