ISP unveils dashboard to track forensic lab rates, includes backlog cases

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KFVS) - The Illinois State Police (ISP) Forensic Services Command (FSC) has unveiled a forensics dashboard which shows the number of case assignments and average completion times.

ISP said the creation of the dashboard is to provide accountability and transparency to victims, law enforcement, prosecutors and the general public.

The dashboard is available to the public to view.

According to ISP, the data includes the number of case assignments completed by each section of the lab, the average number of days it took to complete those assignments and the number of assignments pending completion in each section, commonly known as backlog.

The data also shows the average number of days to complete testing and the current backlog of cases.

ISP Director Brendan Kelly said the current backlog of cases is the focus of the agency.

“Addressing the backlog is a top priority so that justice is never waiting on forensics whether it’s an unsolved cold case, a hot investigation, a case ready for trial, or post-conviction claims of innocence," said Kelly.

The data will be updated monthly.

Users can view the number of trace chemistry, footwear and tire tracks, fingerprints, drug chemistry, toxicology, firearms and biology/DNA cases.

To view the dashboard, click here.

According to ISP, their forensic lab system is one of the largest in the country, the only system in the nation that serves both police departments across the entire state and a massive metropolis, the city of Chicago.