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Crime Laboratory Unit

Introduction

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory Unit was formed in the early 1960’s.  Within Hennepin County, our laboratory provides forensic services to 35 law enforcement agencies and a number of state and federal law enforcement agencies.  The laboratory is located in downtown Minneapolis in a facility that was built in 1999.  The laboratory is staffed by licensed peace officers, scientists, and civilians serving in the following specialized areas:

  • Administration and Support Staff
  • Biology Section
  • Crime Scene Section
  • Evidence Section
  • Firearm and Tool Mark Examination Section
  • Latent Print Section
  • Multimedia Evidence Section

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory Unit is one of only three (3) accredited crime laboratories in the State of Minnesota (the others are the MN BCA Laboratory in St. Paul and the MN BCA Laboratory in Bemidji).  The laboratory’s Crime Scene Section, which operates 24/7, is the only full-time team of crime scene investigators in Minnesota to earn accreditation.

The laboratory places a strong emphasis on the investigation of property crimes.
  • Many of the crimes investigated by the laboratory are related to property crimes.
  • The laboratory has been extremely successful in identifying property crime offenders through the use of forensic databases (particularly the CODIS DNA database).

The demand for the services of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory continues to grow.  Advancements in technology (particularly in DNA analysis) and the laboratory’s focus on property crime investigations are two of the driving factors behind the increasing demand for forensic services from suburban Hennepin County law enforcement agencies.

  • Since 2003, the number of new cases initiated by the Crime Laboratory Unit has increased from 2,540 to 3,010. This is an increase of 470 cases (18%).
  • Since 2003, the number of items received by the laboratory has increased from 3,728 to 8,898 items. This is an increase of 5,170 items (139%).
  • In 2008, the Biology Section, the area of the laboratory that performs DNA analysis, received 897 new cases. This is an increase of 362 cases (68%) when compared to 2007. Since 2003, the section has experienced an incredible 396% increase in caseload.

Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Crime Lab Unit
531 Park Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone 612-596-7010
Fax 612-596-6981