Centre of Forensic Sciences

Investigators & Submitters

Section News & Information

Biology

Effective April 1, 2011, the Biology section’s DNA laboratory operations have been divided into two service lines:

• High Volume Service (HVS): DNA analyses are conducted in support of the investigation of high volume crimes such as Break & Enter; Theft; Drug and Weapon offences. The DNA HVS will use an optimised, high throughput, automated DNA testing process. If the designated offence under investigation meets the DNA HVS criteria there will be no restriction on the number of items submitted per case.
• DNA analyses are conducted in support of the investigation of violent crimes against the person such as Homicide & Attempt Homicide; Sexual Assault and Robbery. DNA testing services provided in support of the investigation of violent crimes against the person will remain the same.

Chemistry

The Chemistry section provides the following examinations:

Explosives, Fire, Gunshot Residue, Hair, Fibre and Fabric Damage Assessment, Paint, Glass, Soil, Chemical Identification and Comparison, Sexual Lubricants, Building Materials, Metals, Adhesive Tapes, Lachrymators, and Lamps.

The Chemistry Section has recently added elemental analysis to the examination of Glass. This new technique provides a much higher level of discrimination for glass sources. Contact the Chemistry Section for further details.

Physical Sciences

Due to a declining demand for services the CFS discontinued or re-assigned services previously offered by the Photo-analysis units in both the Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie laboratories, as of November 22, 2010.

The following services were discontinued:

• Digital evidence – video e.g. (enhancements, image to object comparison). 
• Marks and Impressions – (e.g. footwear and tire tread impressions)
• Physical comparisons that specifically relate to the examination of garbage bags

The following services were re-assigned as follows:

• Physical comparisons (e.g. broken knife or taillight examinations to the Chemistry Section)
• Toolmarks (e.g. safe and pry bar or bolt cutters and chain examinations to the Firearms & Toolmarks Unit).

New Scope of Services:

• Firearms & Toolmarks Unit

• Firearms Examination
• Ammunition Components Examination
• Trajectory Analysis
• Distance Determination
• Serial Number Restoration
• Toolmark Examination
• Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS)

• Documents Unit

• Handwriting and signatures
• Mechanical Impressions (e.g. typewriters, rubber stamps, commercial printing processes)
• Examining and deciphering obliterations, alterations, and erasures
• Physical Comparison Examination
• Comparison of Ink and Paper

• Forensic Engineering Unit

• Failure Analysis
• Tire Failure Analysis
• Strength of Components
• Lock Examination
• Serial Number Restoration
• Motor Vehicle Collision Reconstruction

• Electronics Unit

• Damaged Devices
• Functional Mobile Devices (Includes SIU cell phones)
• Defective Computer Hard Drive Recovery
• Conductive Energy Devices
• Audio Clarification
• Atypical Examinations

The examination of Conductive Energy Devices was suspended for two months from January 4^th 2010, due to the repair and calibration of Equipment. Case work was resumed on March 4^th, 2010.

Toxicology

The CFS recently streamlined the Intoxilyzer^® 8000C breath technician training course from two weeks to one week in response to requests from several police services to deliver this training in a more efficient and cost effective manner.  This condensed course is aligned with similar courses provided elsewhere in Canada, and provides intensive practical training with a two-to-one student-to-instrument ratio and limited class size.  The CFS is committed to providing quality instruction and the production of the best trained breath technicians in Canada.