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Honolulu Police Department

Honolulu Police DepartmentKa 'Oihana Māka'i o Honolulu

Honolulu Police Department

Honolulu Police Department Ka 'Oihana Māka'i o Honolulu

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Scientific Investigation Section

Picture of hands holding a handgun
Firearms and Toolmark Unit
Photo of the spent bullet casings
Firearms and Toolmark Unit
Photo of a scientist on an electronic microscope
Firearms and Toolmark Unit
Machine in the Firearms and Toolmark Unit
Firearms and Toolmark Unit
Photos of laptop computers
Crime Scene Unit – Not Accredited
Marked HPD police vehicle
Crime Scene Unit – Not Accredited
Crime Scene Unit members analy zing articles using a special light
Crime Scene Unit – Not Accredited
Photo of the Crime Scene Unit's photographers equipment in a briefcase
Crime Scene Unit – Not Accredited
Photo of a scientist with a pipette
Forensic Biology Unit (DNA). Through the utilization of a software database called “CODIS” (COmbined DNA Index System) containing hundreds of DNA profiles from casework evidence, the Unit has the ability to search millions of DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scene DNA profiles from all fifty states.

Comparisons are made to individuals thought to be associated with the crime in question (victims, suspects, or witnesses) or alternatively the Combined DNA Index Systems (CODIS) databases can be queried for potential investigative leads. Currently there are over 10 million individuals and well over four hundred thousand casework samples available for comparison in the CODIS database.

The goal of the Forensic Biology Unit is to offer the highest quality forensic DNA testing program possible to the victims of criminal activity. This is accomplished through a collaborative effort with law enforcement and the judicial system by conducting analysis on probative evidence and testifying to the DNA results in court.
Scientists analyzing items with special lighting
The Forensic Biology Unit (DNA) examines physical evidence to locate, identify, and perform Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) analysis on a range of biological material. The Unit conducts analysis to assist law enforcement investigating crimes such as homicide and sex crime cases, also robberies, assaults, and a variety of property crimes.

DNA provides a genetic fingerprint that is unique to all individuals with the exception of identical twins and is found in nearly every cell in the body such as skin cells, blood, semen, hair, and saliva. The Criminalists in the Forensic Biology Unit conducts DNA analyses on relevant crime scene evidence and criminal paternity evidence. The testing process consists of DNA isolation/purification, estimating the amount of human DNA in the samples, and conducting PCR (polymerase chain reaction) based amplification of the samples to generate DNA profiles from the items that will be used for comparison purposes.
A variety of pipettes
Forensic Biology Unit (DNA)
Scientists working
Forensic Biology Unit (DNA)
Photo of pills and unknown powdery substances
Drug Lab. Forensic scientists routinely analyze unknown powders, liquids and pills to determine whether controlled substances are present. There are two categories of forensic tests used to analyze drugs and other unknown substances: Presumptive tests (such as color tests) give only an indication of which type of substance is present-but they cannot specifically identify the substance. Confirmatory tests (such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) are more specific and can determine the precise identity of the substance.
Drug analysis machine
Forensic Biology Unit (Drug Lab)
Photo of volumetric flasks
Forensic Biology Unit (Drug Lab)
Scientist analyzing a powdery substance
Forensic Biology Unit (Drug Lab)
Scientists working in a lab
Forensic Biology Unit (Drug Lab)
Drug analysis
Forensic Biology Unit (Drug Lab)
Scientist working on a computer
Trace Evidence Unit
Analysis and comparison of test samples
Trace Evidence Unit



The Honolulu Police Department’s Scientific Investigation Section is the only full-service forensic testing laboratory in Hawaii and is accredited in the areas of Biology, Controlled Substances, Firearms/Toolmarks, and Trace Evidence through the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the process of using science to resolve legal issues. This is done by applying many different fields of science, including anthropology, biology, chemistry, engineering, genetics, medicine, pathology, voice analysis, psychiatry, and toxicology to matters in which the law has become involved. 

The related term criminalistics refers more specifically to the scientific collection, evaluation, and analysis of physical evidence in criminal investigations.  This includes the analysis of many kinds of materials, including blood, fibers, bullets, drugs, documents, and fingerprints.  Many law enforcement agencies operate crime laboratories that perform scientific evaluation and analysis of evidence.  At the Honolulu Police Department the Scientific Investigation Section provides these services. 

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