The Ventura County Sheriff's Department Forensic Sciences Laboratory, led by Laboratory Manager Renee Artman, has become the first laboratory worldwide to achieve accreditation for its Breath Alcohol Calibrations through ASCLD/LAB- International.

According to Artman, “The Ventura County’s Breath Alcohol Calibration Program is now recognized to meet more scientifically stringent specifications than the oversight provided in the past by the California Department of Public Health. I have always known that the Sheriff’s Department provides a quality program to our community made up of state-of-the-art instrumentation and the best qualified and talented scientists in the field. Now this knowledge is shared among the forensic community,” declared the obviously proud manager.

The ASCLD/LAB-International accreditation program of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/ Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) is a program in which the laboratory participated to demonstrate that its technical operations and overall management systems meet the over 400 criteria of the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 requirements, the 2007 ASCLD/LAB-International Supplemental Requirements for Breath Alcohol Calibration, and the laboratory’s own documented management system.

The on-site assessment was conducted during the period of April 7-10, 2008 with assessors evaluating both in laboratory and in field breath alcohol calibration operations. Accreditation was granted to the laboratory during the June 21, 2008 ASCLD/LAB board meeting. Janet Anderson-Seaquist, Sheriff’s Department Alcohol Section Supervisor, has been appointed to serve on the ASCLD/LAB Technical Advisory Committee representing the Breath Alcohol Calibration Discipline. Section Forensic Scientists are recognized for their contribution to the continuous improvement of forensic science services in Ventura County. A representative of ASCLD/LAB will formally present the accreditation certificate to Sheriff Bob Brooks in a ceremony to celebrate this achievement. The first certificate granted is recognition that the Ventura County Laboratory has met a set of internationally recognized standards and has raised the bar for the operation of forensic laboratories.

Sheriff Bob Brooks is equally proud of the laboratory’s groundbreaking achievement. When asked about the accreditation, he stated, “I would like to credit the hard work and dedication of our outstanding lab staff for this accomplishment.”