The science behind justice is easy to ignore, until we need it

Violent crime is down in Washington and in most cities across the country. Although that is welcomed news, every shooting that does occur leaves victims in its wake.

Earlier this month, one of those victims was my friend and former colleague, who was biking home from work in the District of Columbia when he was shot and seriously injured.

Over the last decade, much of the national discussion about reducing violence has focused on policing strategies, community violence intervention programs, sentencing policy and firearm regulations. But often overlooked is the role of forensic science.

When a shooting occurs, the public expects answers. We expect investigators to identify the perpetrator, connect that crime to other incidents, collect reliable evidence and ultimately hold the offender accountable. Much of that happens through forensic science. 

Our nation’s advances in forensic science have been remarkable, due in large part to federal investments in research and development. These investments have improved DNA analysis, expanded the ability to recover useful information from challenging samples, strengthened the scientific foundations of forensic disciplines regularly scrutinized in court and advanced technologies such as high-resolution 3D ballistic imaging. 

Research supported by the........

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