The Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency needs to provide scientific analysis of criminal evidence, including expert court testimony, to support the Criminal Justice System. This role is crucial for ensuring accurate and reliable forensic services to law enforcement agencies and the community.
Requirements
- Must complete specific forensic training equivalent to the Association of Firearms and Tool Mark Examiner’s (AFTE) Training Manual, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms National Firearms and Toolmark Examiner Academy (NFEA) or training of similar structure at another laboratory ranging from 12-months to 24-months.
- Incumbent shall maintain proficiency through annual proficiency testing.
- Incumbent must be willing and capable of completing additional internal/external training determined by the Forensic Scientist Supervisor - Firearms and the Quality Assurance Program, and capable of completing specialized training, as required or available, from Federal, State, Local agencies and other organizations.
- Must have the ability to make detailed notes describing evidence received; processes used; and triaging requests for forensic analysis.
- Must have knowledge of the criminal justice system and familiarity with the sensitive and confidential nature of evidence managing and examination.
- Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in Biology, Chemistry, Forensic Science, Criminology, or related science courses, including minimum qualification listed.
Responsibilities
- Responsible for performing a wide variety of fully skilled professional scientific analysis on criminal evidence to include the examination, comparison, evaluation and result determinations of physical evidence upon completion of specific forensic training minimum 12-months and maximum 24-months
- Ammunition examination, barrel and overall length measurement of firearms, firearms examination/function testing, microscopic comparative examination of fired evidence, National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) entry and review, product determination, serial number restoration, trigger pull measurement, and verification of other Forensic Scientists - Firearms results
- Prepares formal technical written reports on the results of examinations, statistical analysis, and research projects
- Ensures that appropriate quality assurance and quality control methodologies are employed throughout their section of the laboratory
- Serves as an expert and is responsible for providing technical consultation, advice to scientific personnel, conducting tours, briefs, training and provides expert testimony in court
- Participates in improvement measures for laboratory analysis with the Supervisor to develop technical guidance for analyses within the laboratory section to include quality assurance and quality control
- Implements newly developed forensic technologies (NIBIN), programs, methods, and procedures
Other
- Acts as Forensic Scientist Supervisor - Firearms/Assistant Supervisor - Firearms, when required, in the absence of either.
- The Forensic Scientist Firearms is guided in judgment by Laboratory Policy and Standard Operating Procedures and all tenets of applicable law.
- The Forensic Scientist - Firearms will be held to the highest standard by senior management for independent judgments rendered when faced with a situation where a decision is needed, and there are no clearcut standard operating procedures or laws.
- Position reports to the Forensic Scientist Supervisor - Firearms.
- Must maintain confidentiality at all times.
