Physical sciences at the Centre of Forensic Sciences

Documents unit

The documents unit at the Centre of Forensic Sciences (CFS) examines documents to determine:

• if they are authentic
• if they have been altered
• how they relate to a person, thing, event or time

The documents section provides the following services:

• comparing handwriting and signatures to identify or eliminate a writer
• comparing the pens, pencils, inks, paper and printing processes used to produce a document
• examining documents to detect and decipher erasures, indentations and alterations

Firearms unit

The firearms unit examines the following items found at crime scenes and during search warrants:

• firearms
• ammunition
• target surfaces
• related evidence

The firearms unit provides the following services:

• determine the mechanical condition of a firearm, measure muzzle velocities, and establish if a weapon can be classified as a “non-restricted”, “restricted” or a “prohibited” firearm
• compare fired bullets and fired cartridge cases to other criminal investigations to determine if linkages exist between occurrences
• determine the trajectory of a fired projectile by analyzing the bullet impact site at the crime scene or in the laboratory
• determine the muzzle to target distance by examining firearm discharge residues

Guides for collecting and submitting physical evidence

The following guides provide information on how to collect and submit physical evidence to CFS:

• Submission Packaging Guidelines for Suspicious Firearms Index (SFI) and Rapid Assessment for IBIS Selection Examination (RAISE) Cases
• General case submission guidelines for firearms

Contact information for clients

For client questions, contact the Toronto laboratory for assistance.

Toronto physical sciences laboratory

Physical sciences: documents and firearms (main line):

• 647-329-1690
• Email: physical.sciences@ontario.ca