Founded in 1968, the Northern Illinois Police Crime Laboratory (NIPCL), now known as the Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory (NIRCL), provides forensic services to over 50 member law enforcement agencies which govern and fund its operations. Located in Vernon Hills, the NIRCL provides forensic services for suburbs and collar communities of Chicago, having an estimated population of approximately 1.5 million citizens.
The mission of the laboratory is to provide quality forensic services in a timely manner. NIRCL employs more than a dozen forensic scientists to meet the mission’s objectives. NIRCL is accredited in DNA, Latent Prints, Firearms/Toolmarks, Controlled Substances and Toxicology analysis. Other provided services include drug and firearm destruction, community outreach in the form of educational presentations and training for user agencies.
First accredited in 1997, NIRCL is now accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standards by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). The accreditation requires the documentation and implementation of international standards regarding technical procedures, quality assurance standards and managerial operations.
