WPD forensic lab manager appointed to state advisory board | Crime

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – The forensic lab manager at the Wilmington Police Department Crime Laboratory was recently appointed to serve on the N.C. Forensic Science Advisory Board, according to WPD spokesperson Lucy Crockett.

Bethany Pridgen, who holds a Master’s degree in Forensic Sciences from George Washington University, will reportedly serve a two- to four-year term on the 17-member board. The group reviews operations and makes recommendations on issues like testing and examination methods, new programs and standards for forensic scientists working in the lab.

Pridgen, a UNCW graduate, was responsible for leading the WPD Crime Laboratory in September 2009, making it the only local agency in southeastern North Carolina and only the second department in the state capable of conducting in-house testing for blood-alcohol and drug analysis. She’s also leading efforts to attain ISO International Accreditation for the WPD Crime Lab in both Forensic Alcohol Analysis and Controlled Substances Testing, according to Crockett.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.