Crime Lab Customer Service Agreement

Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory
Customer Agreement Notice

1. Customers utilizing laboratory services agree that laboratory criminalists will determine the appropriate methods needed to analyze the submitted samples in order to provide answers to the questions the customer is seeking.
   Basis for statement- The KCPCL is required to have procedures for the review of requests and “contracts” for
   testing and is also required to ensure that any changes to those contracts shall be acceptable to both the lab and the customer. The lab must also inform the customer when a method proposed by the customer is inappropriate or out of date. To fulfill these requirements, the laboratory reviews all requests for laboratory work holistically in relation to what forensic/scientific questions are trying to be answered. From this review, the methods needed to answer those questions are chosen by the laboratory and not necessarily by the customer.
2. Customers utilizing laboratory services agree to allow the laboratory to outsource testing to another competent laboratory when the laboratory identifies such a need. (Any outsourcing that may lead to additional expenses will not be performed without additional prior approval from the customer).
   Basis for statement- The KCPCL is required to advise the customer if sub-contracting of services is performed and gain the approval of the customer in relation to utilizing a sub-contractor. Sub-contracting may be performed on work you submit to us. An example would be work that is outsourced in relation to backlog grants received by the laboratory. The KCPCL has policies and procedures in place to ensure that outsourcing laboratories are competent and capable of performing the work requested of them. Generally, all outsourcing labs used by the KCPCL are accredited laboratories.
3. Customers utilizing laboratory services authorize and approve laboratory criminalists to deviate from a written method when such need is identified. (Such deviations will be validated and documented within the case notes).
   Basis for statement- The KCPCL is required to gain authorization and acceptance from the customer to deviate from a written test method or procedure. The laboratory QA program requires any deviations to be validated and documented within the case notes. Additionally, the laboratory QA program requires that any changes in the test method or environmental conditions that are necessary for the interpretation of the results will be included within the laboratory report.
4. Customers utilizing laboratory services authorize and approve laboratory examiners to consume evidence for examination when such a need is identified.
5. Customers utilizing laboratory services authorize and approve laboratory staff to release case reports and records to relevant prosecuting attorneys as a matter of the judicial process.
6. Customers utilizing laboratory services acknowledge the following in relation to disposition of evidence once testing is complete.
   a. Any full consumption of evidence during testing will be referenced in the laboratory report.
   b. Test fires from firearms will be archived by the laboratory.
   c. Biological swabs and cuttings will be archived by the laboratory.
   d. KCPD latent lift cards are archived by the laboratory (outside agency lift cards are returned to the submitting agency).
   e. Liquid blood and urine samples are archived by the laboratory.