Crime laboratory

Crime laboratory, law enforcement investigative facility that examines evidence gathered at a crime scene for clues. Numbering about 250 in the United States today, crime labs utilize state-of-the-art technological and scientific methods of analyzing evidence. Forensic pathologists use crime labs to conduct autopsies on the bodies of crime victims, and ballistics experts use them to draw conclusions on weapons used in crimes. Crime labs are also used to isolate fingerprints, determine causes of suspicious fires, and test for substance abuse.