Connecticut Deploys $1M Mobile Forensic Lab for DNA and Ballistics
The van, funded by federal COVID emergency money, is stationed at the New Britain Police Department and can be deployed statewide within hours. It was already used in the Brown University shooting investigation.
PublishedMarch 31, 2026
The mobile crime lab is deployable statewide and can be sent out-of-state for urgent multi-state cases
Connecticut Deploys $1 Million Mobile Forensic Lab for On-Site Crime Scene Analysis
Connecticut's Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection has put a mobile forensic laboratory van into service, bringing DNA processing, ballistics testing, and digital forensics capabilities directly to crime scenes across the state. The unit, which cost approximately $1 million funded by federal COVID-19 emergency dollars, requires an additional $30,000 per year in maintenance and is operated by existing state laboratory staff at no added payroll cost.
The mobile forensic van is currently stationed at the New Britain Police Department, where it will remain for the next several months before being repositioned. It is deployable statewide and can be sent out-of-state for urgent multi-state cases.
Three Forensic Capabilities in One Van
The mobile unit is equipped with three primary forensic functions:
Rapid DNA testing: The van can generate a DNA profile in under two hours — compared to days or weeks in a traditional laboratory backlog — enabling investigators to identify or exclude suspects while still working a crime scene.
Ballistics analysis: The unit connects to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), a federal database that links cartridge casings to firearms and to other shootings across the country. On-site ballistics testing allows investigators to immediately search for connections to other crimes.
Digital forensics: The van carries GrayKey technology, which allows technicians to access both locked and unlocked iPhones and Android devices to extract digital evidence.
Already Used in High-Profile Cases
The mobile lab was deployed during Connecticut and Rhode Island's joint investigation into shootings at Brown University in December 2025, and in the subsequent homicide of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor that was linked to the same investigation.
Lucina Lopes-Phelan, deputy director of the DESPP Division of Scientific Services' Identification Section, described the unit's core benefit: "Instead of waiting to send evidence to the lab and waiting for the work to be completed through the traditional processes, we can now bring key forensic capabilities much closer to the scene."
Local Law Enforcement Reaction
New Britain Police Chief Matthew Marino said the unit "plays an essential role in ensuring that we carry out our work with the most accuracy and efficiency."
The mobile van is available to municipal police departments across Connecticut, providing forensic resources that smaller departments typically lack access to without sending evidence to the DESPP's central laboratory in Middletown.
DESPP's Central Lab in Middletown
The state's fixed forensic laboratory is located at 1111 Country Club Road in Middletown and has long served as Connecticut's central hub for forensic testing. The mobile unit supplements that facility by enabling field deployment when time-sensitive analysis is needed at a crime scene.
The DESPP Division of Scientific Services provides forensic analysis support to law enforcement agencies throughout the state, including DNA, toxicology, ballistics, and digital forensics services.
