The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Regional Crime Laboratory (Crime Lab) employs a robust quality assurance program, which includes application of over 400 international accreditation standards to monitor, verify, and document the performance of our staff, instruments, and procedures. There are numerous operational obligations to our quality management process which include, but are not limited to, annual proficiency testing of analysts, rigorous training programs that obligate independent demonstration of expertise and competency, independent verification and technical review of results by qualified analysts, and validation of methods.  The foundation of a strong quality assurance program rests on its documentation and monitoring practices, including continual improvement evaluations, internal and external audits, tracking of quality incidents, and root cause analysis in its corrective action process.  The Crime Lab, as part of its accreditation under ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and the FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories, must have a defined quality management system that includes objective expectations of what constitutes a quality incident and a correction action. It is through these expectations that the Crime Lab improves its technology, methodology, policies, and skills.

A quality incident is defined as a concern with a technique, method, reagent, instrument, process, procedure, policy, or individual.  The quality incident process is intended to be objective and transparent. A quality incident is escalated to a corrective action when at least one of the following criteria are met.  The list is not intended to be all inclusive and is effective as of June 2020. 

• The incident effects the quality of work where the results or interpretations will require a change or amendment, including already completed casework.
• The incident effects the ability to test or re-test evidence or work product.
• The incident causes a need for retesting of evidence or work product.
• The incident indicates a chronic failure to follow policy. For example, if a policy is put into place due to a quality incident review, the next failure to follow this policy will escalate.
• The incident is a failure to meet any of the ISO, ANAB, quality manual, or technical procedural protocols or requirements.
• All internal audit or external assessment findings.
• The incident requires a quality action plan developing steps to correct the process.
• The incident involves multiple competency test or training failures.
• The incident involves a proficiency test failure.
• The incident involves a systemic or chronic quality issue within a short period of time.
• The incident involves a poor review or technical review of testimony. 

Quality assurance is an ongoing process to evaluate our work and apply the latest scientific and accreditation standards, while employing strategies to facilitate a process of continuing improvement. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Regional Crime Laboratory is committed to applying our robust quality assurance standards to ensure the best possible reporting of forensic results.