CLPEX Chat Board

Just wondering if some of the folks from Pennsylvania that monitor this site could maybe give us more, unbiased, information. Curious how this came about, why, ramifications, plan to execute, etc.
If you wish to post anonymously, it would be understood.

the phrase about the the "govenor and his allies" and the reason for this didn't quite make sense and seem to have some 'spin' to it.

Thanks,

g.

The article below was linked in this week's Detail:

CSI Pennsylvania
Friday, October 21, 2005

The real counterparts from the popular CSI television series exist in Pennsylvania in the form of troopers working in separate forensic disciplines of ballistics, questioned documents and latent print examination. Troopers’ positions have been an integral part of the crime laboratory system since 1939. Unfortunately, these positions may not exist for much longer.
The governor and political allies recently developed a plan to remove highly trained, nationally recognized, sworn officers with 199 years combined experience from the state crime laboratories by July 30, 2006, to be replaced by inexperienced civilians, primarily because of new staffing and funding required for Philadelphia highway patrols. In a proposal snuck into the budget, 27 experts from the six state laboratories, with nearly $3 million invested in their training would simply be sent to the street. No plan for handling time critical examinations, ensuing backlogs of cases, or training replacements was given (such training usually takes two years).

The inevitable gap in service created from the removal of veteran examiners until the completion of training replacements will result in evidence being set aside indefinitely or transferred to federal agencies with acceptance not guaranteed. Additionally, the dearth of qualified experts makes hiring even limited trained replacements as a stop-gap measure for the 27 positions completely unrealistic. This insurmountable backlog of cases, coupled with the inevitable loss of the laboratory system’s accreditation, will have a crippling effect on the ability of district attorneys and law enforcement to prosecute cases in all 67 counties of the commonwealth. Philadelphia’s gain will spell a loss for the rest of the citizens of the Commonwealth.

I sent a letter to the editor on that one. The article appeared last week. It reminds me of the change that the FBI went through in their laboratory in the mid to late 1990's. Director Freeh decided (rightfully so) that agents should be in the field performing agent duties and that "civilian" scientists should be recruited for the laboratory positions. It pissed people off but is was the right thing to do.

That article uses the term "civilians" in a rather negative way...which makes me wonder if a trooper wrote it. But then again, aren't troopers and police officers "civilians" themselves. I've noticed in the federal government that there is a caste system hierarchy with agents occupying the top rung and "support staff" (i.e. non-agents) occupying the lower rung.

The only culture that makes a designation between themselves and "civilians" is the military.

When it comes to "civil service" I hope that it is the "civilians" that occupy law enforcement.

I noticed that the article was penned by several retired troopers who had all held supervisory postions within that laboratory system.

Suck it up! It’s a good move by State government. You don’t see Fire Fighters doing fingerprint work on their down time do you? I have friends in PA., who are excellent (civilian) Fingerprint Examiners.
Don’t feel alone, if City officials wise up you’ll probably see the same thing at the Pittsburgh Police department.

I am from Pa, been living in Tx. for about 7 yrs. now and I was surprised at the article. you could 'feel' the anger at going civilian. I work for a department that is civilan, Its wonderful. of course I am the civilian csi and I do love it. I hope once the change over for them is completed they realize that it does work better that way on so many levels.