WHEREAS, access to accredited forensic science services significantly improves the investigation of criminal activity, aiding in the exoneration of the innocent and the prosecution of the guilty; and

WHEREAS, crime scene investigators from law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth are trained in the Forensic Science Academy to locate, recognize, document, collect, preserve, and properly package items of physical evidence for examination; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Forensic Science Evidence Receiving Section provides a critical connection between the investigators collecting evidence and the scientists analyzing it: and

WHEREAS, scientists at the Department of Forensic Science provide accurate and reliable analysis of recovered evidence and submitted samples in the Controlled Substances, Digital & Multimedia Evidence, Firearms & Toolmarks, Forensic Biology, including the DNA Data Bank, Latent Prints & Impressions, Toxicology, and Trace Evidence Sections; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Forensic Science advances the understanding of forensic science through its discipline-specific trainings for Virginia attorneys and judges, its scientific research, and its Forensic Training and Breath Alcohol Sections, which offer a variety of training programs for law enforcement in crime scene technology and licensure for breath test operators; and

WHEREAS, the people, facilities, and technologies that make reliable forensic science possible are an invaluable asset to the Commonwealth of Virginia;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 14-20, 2025, as FORENSIC SCIENCE WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.