Crime Lab Funds

California’s criminal justice system is in critical need of help. Your Feb. 9 article, “DNA Evidence May Absolve Inmate in 1988 Rape Conviction,” is a call to attention addressing the need for high-tech forensic science laboratories. California has 19 local crime laboratories across the state, but most of them lack the space and equipment to do their job effectively.

Forensic DNA typing is powerful technology. DNA analysis is a proven asset to criminal justice systems around the world. In Great Britain they are solving 300 to 500 crimes a week with their developed DNA profiling system. In Virginia they had 70 cold DNA matches in 1999 alone. But California has only made 11 cold hits since 1994.

I am sorry to say that California’s crime labs are behind the times. Prop. 15 on the March 7 ballot attempts to help remedy this situation by providing $220 million to local crime labs for renovation and construction. This investment in the infrastructure of California’s criminal justice system is vital to maintaining credibility for providing justice to all its citizens.

BARRY A. J. FISHER

Chatsworth

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Fisher is the crime laboratory director for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.