State buys new Crime Scene Response Vehicle for Madison laboratory



MADISON -- Attorney General Josh Kaul announced on Tuesday, Feb. 5 that the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory (WSCL) has purchased a new Crime Scene Response Vehicle for the Madison laboratory.

The new vehicle was purchased to increase the amount of equipment available to forensic analysts and technicians when responding to crime scenes across the state.

A news release says the Crime Scene Response Unit consists of 22 staff, from multiple disciplines from all three WSCL locations, who volunteer to respond to scenes. The unit primarily responds to scenes involving homicides, officer-involved shootings, clandestine graves, and autopsies related to scenes. The unit is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, per the request of law enforcement.

In 2018, the unit responded to 90 requests from law enforcement. In January 2019, the unit has responded to six cases resulting in 17 individual responses out of the lab to account for scenes that required multiple days processing time, autopsies and vehicle processing. Total unit time spent on these 17 events in January accounted for approximately 579 analytical hours. This does not include any time spent at the lab preparing reports.