The mission of the Office of Forensic Services is to: provide staff support to the New York State (NYS) Commission on Forensic Science and its DNA Subcommittee with regard to the accreditation of public forensic laboratories operating in the state; administer the State DNA database in cooperation with the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center; facilitate specialized technical training and other activities that enhance the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of forensic testing services in NYS; and, promote coordination and information sharing among the laboratories pursuant to Executive Law section 995-b(2)

The Office of Forensic Services (OFS) was established to carry out the provisions of Article 49-B of the Executive Law (Section 995). The OFS is responsible for administrative oversight of the New York State (NYS) DNA Databank and for maintaining a forensic laboratory accreditation program for public forensic laboratories in New York State under the authority of the NYS Commission on Forensic Science. OFS functions include:

• providing staff support to the New York State Commission on Forensic Science and the DNA Subcommittee;
• monitoring forensic laboratory compliance with State accreditation standards;
• administration of the State's DNA database; and
• working with forensic laboratories, law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies to improve the quality and delivery of forensic services pursuant to Article 49-B.

OFS conducts its activities in coordination with the New York Crime Laboratory Advisory Committee (NYCLAC) and various technical working groups (TWGs) of forensic experts from State and local crime laboratories.

NYS Commission on Forensic Science and DNA Subcommittee. The Commission on Forensic Science and the DNA Subcommittee were established by Article 49-B of the Executive Law. The Commission is empowered to develop minimum standards and a program of accreditation for all forensic laboratories in New York State. Accreditation of a forensic DNA laboratory is granted through the DNA Subcommittee. The Subcommittee also advises the Commission on any matter related to the implementation of scientific controls and quality assurance procedures for the performance of forensic DNA analysis.

Technical Support to NYS Commission on Forensic Science. With general guidance from the NYS Crime Laboratory Advisory Committe (NYCLAC), technical working groups (TWGs) have been established for each forensic discipline and for quality control managers to promote uniform analytical protocols and quality assurance procedures, to identify technical training needs, and to provide technical consultation services to the Commission on Forensic Sciences in the evaluation of laboratories' performance on proficiency tests and conformance with accreditation standards.

Forensic Laboratory Compliance with New York State Accreditation Standards.
OFS monitors forensic laboratories' compliance with accreditation
standards established by the Commission on Forensic Science. This involves review of all documentation between the laboratories and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with DNA laboratory accreditation and participation in the NYS DNA Databank.

Technical Training for Crime Laboratory Personnel. OFS facilitates highly specialized technical training programs for crime laboratory personnel in order to maintain proficiency and currency in analytical methods.

The New York State DNA Databank. The New York State DNA Databank was created by Chapter 737 of the Laws of 1994. The statutory provisions establishing the Databank are found in section 995-c of the Executive Law. The DNA Databank contains four separate indices. They are: "The Forensic Evidence Index" which contains DNA profiles obtained from crime scene evidence; "The Convicted Offender Index" which contains DNA profiles obtained from offenders convicted of certain qualifying criminal offenses; "The Missing Persons Index" that can contain DNA profiles of unknown human remains, missing persons, and family members who are related to missing persons; and the "Subject Index" that was added in 2006.

The NYS DNA Databank is part of a national system called CODIS (Combined DNA Index
System) operated by the FBI under the authority of the DNA Identification Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. section 14132). CODIS is implemented as a distributed database with three hierarchical levels (or tiers) of the DNA Index System - local (LDIS), state (SDIS), and national (NDIS). This tiered approach allows individual state and local agencies to operate their respective DNA databases according to applicable state law and local policy. In New York State, DCJS has administrative oversight of the DNA Databank. The New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center (NYSP FIC) maintains the State DNA Index System (SDIS). There are eight Local DNA laboratories participating in CODIS and they are each referred to as a Local DNA Index System (LDIS) lab.