The beleaguered D.C. crime lab has regained partial accreditation after nearly three years of being unable to process evidence fully.

The D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences’ application for accreditation of its forensic biology and forensic chemistry units was approved late last week. The labs are responsible for DNA analysis, fingerprints, drug testing, and other evidence processing. DFS will now be able to process evidence again instead of outsourcing all of the work to federal and private labs.

There are at least two other units within the lab awaiting reaccreditation. That includes the firearms unit, according to the Mayor’s Office, and the fingerprints unit. It’s unclear what the timeline might be for those to be reaccredited.

NBC 4 was the first to report the news.

It’s been nearly three years since the lab lost accreditation due to accuracy concerns and attempts to cover up errors.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed the reaccreditation in a statement last night.

“We remain focused on reducing crime, and that means ensuring all parts of our public safety and justice ecosystem are working at full capacity,” Bowser’s statement reads in part. “Reaccreditation is a critical step in supporting case closure and affording us another tool to advance justice for victims.”

She noted that the Metropolitan Police Department will continue to use “our existing network of outside labs as well as those accessible by the U.S. Attorney” to support investigations along with the recently reaccredited units.

The reaccreditation wasn’t totally unexpected. In October, Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau announced that DFS had applied for reaccreditation with a request to fast-track the review. The hope was that the accreditation would come through by early January. Instead, it was approved a few weeks earlier than initially expected and a certificate was issued on December 22.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, which works with the District to prosecute crimes, called the accreditation a “critical first step in rebuilding the lab” and hopes it will help with closing cases.

“We wholeheartedly agree with DFS’s decision to immediately begin work in the Forensic Biology Unit on resolving the significant CODIS backlog, which addresses an important public safety issue,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote in a statement. “Additionally, as an accredited lab, DFS will be able to hire essential experts and staff, enhance its quality assurance system, and further work towards ensuring its experts will be qualified for testing for criminal cases.”

The $210 million crime lab opened in 2012 but faced issues soon after. In 2015, the National Accreditation Board suspended all DNA testing at the lab due to analysts being “not competent and… using inadequate procedures.” Then, in 2017, errors were discovered when forensic analysts matched bullets to the wrong weapon. In 2020, there was more evidence of a botched analysis that falsely linked two killings. The next year, the lab’s accreditation was pulled.

Earlier this year, Bowser attempted to move the crime lab under MPD control. The proposal received a lot of pushback from councilmembers, who argued the measure would defeat the purpose of having an independent crime lab. Bowser’s effort ultimately failed.