{"id":695,"date":"2021-10-20T08:41:57","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T08:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/?page_id=695"},"modified":"2021-11-30T18:57:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T18:57:31","slug":"faq-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/faq-2\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"695\" class=\"elementor elementor-695\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5f0a09e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5f0a09e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6b393c7\" data-id=\"6b393c7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1ecfeca0 elementor-section-height-min-height elementor-section-content-bottom elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-items-middle\" data-id=\"1ecfeca0\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e7278ab\" data-id=\"e7278ab\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58b7a452 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"58b7a452\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">FAQ<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7165862 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7165862\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-960b0f0\" data-id=\"960b0f0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f53ac0f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5f53ac0f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">HFSC: Formation<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-387aa922 ha-toggle--icon-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-ha-toggle happy-addon ha-toggle happy-addon-pro\" data-id=\"387aa922\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"ha-toggle.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__wrapper\" role=\"tablist\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-title-9471\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-title\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"ha-toggle__item-content-9471\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-icon ha-toggle__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--closed\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--opened\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-text\">Why did the City of Houston establish the Houston Forensic Science Center?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-content-9471\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-content\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"ha-toggle__item-title-9471\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Houston Police Department, like most others in the country, had long been responsible for the City of Houston&#8217;s forensic services, including crime scene investigation, DNA, latent prints and others. Mismanagement, poor training and a lack of resources caused recurring problems that led to wrongful convictions, the shutdown of the DNA laboratory, backlogs and a lack of public trust. In 2012, the City of Houston, at HPD&#8217;s behest, created the Houston Forensic Science Center as an independent local government corporation overseen by a nine-member board of directors. For two years, the board of directors in collaboration with the city and HPD created a framework to takeover management of the crime laboratory, the crime scene unit and parts of the identification division. HFSC officially took over management of those forensic services on April 3, 2014.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fae5a35 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"fae5a35\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.19.0 - 07-02-2024 *\/\n.elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));--align-self:var(--container-widget-align-self,initial);--flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container{height:100%;width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty{position:relative;min-height:22px;min-width:22px}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon{position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;margin:auto;padding:0;width:22px;height:22px}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84e92b5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"84e92b5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">HFSC's responsibilities<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3654a58 ha-toggle--icon-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-ha-toggle happy-addon ha-toggle happy-addon-pro\" data-id=\"3654a58\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"ha-toggle.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__wrapper\" role=\"tablist\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-title-5691\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-title\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"ha-toggle__item-content-5691\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-icon ha-toggle__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--closed\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--opened\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-text\">What forensic services does HFSC offer?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-content-5691\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-content\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"ha-toggle__item-title-5691\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>HFSC operates in seven disciplines, including forensic biology\/DNA, seized drugs, toxicology, latent prints, crime scene, multimedia and firearms. It is considered a full-service laboratory and is one of the largest crime lab&#8217;s in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-title-5692\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-title\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"ha-toggle__item-content-5692\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-icon ha-toggle__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--closed\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--opened\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-text\">What is HFSC's caseload? How large is the staff?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-content-5692\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-content\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"ha-toggle__item-title-5692\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>HFSC completes about 30,000 requests a year and has more than 200 staff members. About three-quarters of the staff are women.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-title-5693\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-title\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"ha-toggle__item-content-5693\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-icon ha-toggle__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--closed\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--opened\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-text\">Does HFSC conduct autopsies?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-content-5693\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-content\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"ha-toggle__item-title-5693\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>No. In Texas, the county is responsible for autopsies. The medical examiner&#8217;s office that oversees Houston is the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. If a homicide occurs within city limits, the body goes to the medical examiner&#8217;s office and all the evidence on the body, including fingernail clippings, is analyzed by HFSC.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fe9917b elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"fe9917b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f03ef66 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f03ef66\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Governance\n<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e8c45ef ha-toggle--icon-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-ha-toggle happy-addon ha-toggle happy-addon-pro\" data-id=\"e8c45ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"ha-toggle.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__wrapper\" role=\"tablist\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-title-2441\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-title\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tab\" aria-controls=\"ha-toggle__item-content-2441\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-icon ha-toggle__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--closed\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__icon--opened\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"ha-toggle__item-title-text\">   Who oversees the Houston Forensic Science Center?<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"ha-toggle__item-content-2441\" class=\"ha-toggle__item-content\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"ha-toggle__item-title-2441\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A nine-member board of directors made up of volunteer community members has full oversight, including fiduciary responsibility, of HFSC. Board members serve two year terms and the chair serves three years. The board members are appointed by the mayor of Houston and confirmed by City Council. They can serve multiple terms, however, cannot be removed mid-term unless they commit a felony offense. This setup is designed to provide HFSC a measure of political insulation.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1922c899\" data-id=\"1922c899\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HFSC: Formation Why did the City of Houston establish the Houston Forensic Science Center? The Houston Police Department, like most others in the country, had long been responsible for the City of Houston&#8217;s forensic services, including crime scene investigation, DNA, latent prints and others. Mismanagement, poor training and a lack of resources caused recurring problems [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/695"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=695"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1837,"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/695\/revisions\/1837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsctx.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}