During the summer of 2015 we initiated an investigation into missing controlled substances that had been removed from two of our crime labs.
Our detectives subsequently established and documented a pattern of theft by employee Nika Larsen, an OSP scientist, who used her position to remove controlled substances from two of the five OSP crime labs.
We promptly notified all Oregon District Attorney Offices and turned the results of our investigation over to the Oregon Department of Justice for additional investigation and independent evaluation. The Oregon Attorney General and the United States' Attorney's office subsequently conducted their own investigations which confirmed OSP's findings and built a successful criminal case against Larsen.
We profoundly regret our scientist's behavior and any adverse impact it has had on our professional partners or the administration of justice. We are redoubling our commitment to delivering the consistently professional service that built our hard-earned reputation for excellence.
As part of our efforts moving forward we participated in and look forward to any recommendations from the workgroup established by Governor Brown to evaluate policies and procedures utilized with our crime labs. No human system can guarantee perfection, but we have underscored our commitment to integrity, reliability, security and transparency by updating lab security policies, procedures and equipment.
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The OSP Forensic Services Division provides Oregon's only full service forensic laboratory system. Our analysts provide technical assistance and training, evaluate and analyze evidence, interpret results, and provide expert testimony related to the full spectrum of physical evidence recovered from crime scenes.
