My name is Reddy P. Chamakura. I am a retired
forensic scientist with Police Laboratory, New York City Police Department.
I took retirement after spending 36 years in forensic field.
Education:
B.S. and M.S. in chemistry, degree in law, diploma in criminal law (from India)
and 2 years of graduate work in Forensic
Science at
John Jay College of Criminal
Justice, New York
Speciality Areas Worked:forensic chemistry/narcotics, research and training, questioned documents, and
ballistics.
My Favorite Quotes
“The truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources—it’s about protecting free and open
inquiry.
It’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology."
President Obama (Radio address on Dec20, 2008)
"To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to
knowledge."
Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881
"Knowledge is of two kinds; we know a subject ourselves or we know where we can
get information upon it."
Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784
"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it."
Confucius, 551-479BC
"Science cannot exist in secrecy."
Dr. Joseph Rotblat, Nobel Laureate (The New York Times, May 21, 1996, p.C1)
Results of the Poll
During 2008, forensicpage.com has conducted a poll.
The question was: Ideally, under whose control the forensic laboratory should function?
1679 visitors participated in the poll. Their choice:
487 (29%) choose - Independant Lab
485 (28%) choose - Under Medical Examiner
240 (14%) choose - Under State Police
192 (11%) choose - Local Police
108 (6%) choose - Under Courts
79 (4%) choose - DA/Attorney General
88 (5%) choose - Other
NOTE: On Feb 18, 2009, National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in a US Congress funded extensive study and report
recommended that forensic labs should function separate from law enforcement agencies.(Read the report below)
