A report detailing systemic failures at D.C.’s Department of Forensic Sciences is recommending both a complete overhaul of the independent crime lab and a review of casework from its firearms examination and fingerprint units.

Mayor Muriel Bowser hired forensic consultant SNA International to complete the report shortly after the lab, which analyzes evidence gathered at crime scenes, had its accreditation suspended in April amid accusations of fraud and coverups. The lab officially lost its accreditation in May, and the director of the department resigned shortly thereafter.

The SNA report is dated December 8, though it was only made public this week. WTOP first reported on the release.

The 157-page document outlines an exhaustive list of deficiencies, including “staff not having sufficient expertise to perform their duties, an ineffective quality management system that did not fully investigate customer complaints or resolve issues, and a culture that discouraged candid feedback from staff to leadership.” The report also noted that many D.C. police staff were “grandfathered” into the department “without formally vetting their prior training, competency, or proficiency.”

To produce the report, which focused on the years between 2015 and 2021, SNA conducted 29 interviews with a total of 49 personnel and provided anonymous surveys to 214 current employees.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice and the Department of Forensic Sciences did not respond to immediate requests for comment about the report and next steps. But Bowser has signed an order to convene a committee that would be tasked with implementing SNA’s recommendations, including the case review.

“Do I feel a sense of responsibility? Yes, absolutely,” Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Chris Geldart told The Washington Post. “The District owns this responsibility.”

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen said in a statement that he supports the mayor’s order and will be joining the ad hoc committee. He also underscored the weight of the report’s findings and recommendations for the city’s criminal justice system.

“I am extremely concerned about the integrity of criminal cases that have relied and are relying on evidence from these units. Arrests, charges, and convictions are called into question, which will have significant impacts on defendants and victims,” said Allen. “It will require a thorough review, the scope of which is difficult to appreciate in this moment – but it will be extensive.”