Mangano forms independent forensic advisory board

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano announced the formation of an independent Forensic Advisory Board on Dec. 15, following a disparaging review of the Nassau County Police Department’s Forensic Evidence Bureau (FEB) released by the New York State Inspector General in November.

Inspector General Ellen Biben found in her investigation that systemic failures of the Nassau crime lab were an inherent result of a lack of management and oversight by the laboratory, the police department, county leadership and the State Commission on Forensic Science.

The board, which will be headed up by former New York State Senator Michael Balboni, is charged to oversee the re-establishment of the crime lab in a new facility.

“The County Executive has tasked us with putting together a board of experts,” Balboni said, “people who have not only distinguished themselves in the core areas of forensic science but have also overseen the development and management of crime labs.”

Though the board roster has yet to be finalized, its members already include former FBI Senior Executive John Hicks, former Nassau County Deputy Medical Examiner Diane Markunas, and Chief Assistant District Attorney for Nassau County Madeline Singas. Also on the board is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Florida, Michael Warren.

The main focus of the independent board, Balboni said, will be the three ‘C’s: cost, capabilities and communication.

After learning initial reports in Februrary that critical errors were being made by the FEB, Mangano shut down the crime lab and outsourced its duties to other labs.

While a number of forensic tasks are still being outsourced to national medical services in Pennsylvania, the county has begun to perform most of its own toxicology tests again. The county also received provisional accreditation last week to run tests for latent prints, according to Balboni, though approval from Albany is still required.

Balboni added that DNA testing is, and has always been done by the county Medical Examiner’s office. The county is still working to re-establish core capabilities such as testing bulk evidence and questioned documents.