Handbook of Forensic Services—New Hampshire

Overview
Forensic laboratory services are available to all local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire for assistance in criminal investigations and legal proceedings. The handbook describes a range of forensic services offered by the New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory, including analysis of controlled drugs, biological materials/DNA, digital evidence, fingerprints, fire debris, firearms, photography, trace evidence, blood and urine toxicology, and breath alcohol.

Goals
The handbook provides law enforcement personnel with guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods of collecting and preserving physical evidence. It is the mission of the State of New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory to analyze evidence from criminal investigations in a manner that will minimize loss, contamination, and deleterious change.

Making the Idea a Reality
The Handbook of Forensic Services was developed collaboratively by lab personnel and the laboratory director. Laboratory analysts wrote procedures for proper evidence collection and preservation within their respective disciplines. These drafts were combined into a draft handbook. This draft was distributed to all laboratory examiners for a second review. The final product was then presented to the laboratory director for editing and final approval. Copies of the handbook were distributed to all law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

Benefits to Victims
Only through proper collection and preservation can forensic scientists derive the maximum amount of information from the physical evidence they receive. This information may be used by law enforcement personnel to identify an unknown assailant, refute an assailant's claim of innocence, or substantiate the victim's account of the use of force. Prosecutors routinely rely on this information to successfully prosecute criminal defendants.

Benefits to Victim Service Professionals
Victim service professionals can operate more effectively within their respective roles when they are confident that evidence from a crime of violence will be properly collected and preserved for analysis in the forensic laboratory.

Contact Information
New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory
Timothy J. Pifer, Laboratory Director
33 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03305
603–271–3573