WASHINGTON - J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), today publicly announced that the TIGTA Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has attained national accreditation, further strengthening TIGTA's ability to protect the U.S. Federal system of tax administration.
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors-LAB (ASCLD-LAB) board of directors voted to accredit the TIGTA Laboratory after concluding that the lab met rigorous standards during a week-long on-site assessment. Laboratory accreditation is official recognition of operational competence through an outside assessment of a laboratory's quality, administrative, and technical systems.
"I am very pleased that the Forensic Science Laboratory has received accreditation - a sign of excellence and a significant achievement for TIGTA," said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, adding: "Accreditation of this fine laboratory further enhances our ability to protect IRS employees and the Federal system of tax administration."
The FSL facility is located at TIGTA's Investigative Support Center in Beltsville, Maryland. Both the forensic document examination section and the fingerprint examination section have been accredited. The laboratory also has a digital image processing section which enhances photographs and provides photographic evidence for courtroom use. Laboratory experts have access to all major forensic comparison systems, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS).
The lab's accreditation demonstrates TIGTA's commitment to improving the quality of laboratory services provided to the criminal justice system, as well as its adherence to the highest performance standards in providing independent, impartial and objective forensic services. The accrediting body will periodically re-evaluate the FSL and monitor any suggested corrective actions which are implemented to insure that the laboratory continues to meet all standards.