DALLAS—The FBI and members of the Local Executive Board of the North Texas Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (NTRCFL) held a grand opening open house today, May 11, 2021, to commemorate the new NTRCFL in Dallas, Texas.

The RCFL program has evolved from a single pilot project laboratory established in San Diego in 1999 to a national network of digital forensic laboratories today.

Located in downtown Dallas, the NTRCFL was established in 2000, and is one of 17 laboratories in the country, serving as a full-service digital forensics laboratory and training center devoted entirely to the examination of digital evidence. It moved into its new location in January 2021.

The FBI provides the facility, equipment, and training for the NTRCFL. Along with the FBI, five participating agencies detail the staff who work at the lab. The participating agencies are: Dallas Police Department, Plano Police Department, Richardson Police Department, and Frisco Police Department. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is also an agency partner.

Today’s open house provided an opportunity to celebrate the partnerships that comprise this vital resource for law enforcement agencies throughout North Texas.

Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno welcomed guests and commended the NTRCFL’s achievements, “The North Texas region wins by being home to one of the world’s most advanced state-of-the-art digital forensics examination facilities. I am grateful for the partnership of the Dallas, Plano, Richardson, and Frisco police departments and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Our combined commitment of personnel and resources force multiplies our ability to solve crimes with mobile and digital evidence in the communities we serve.”

The national RCFL program represents one of law enforcement’s most successful partnership initiatives. Individuals from over 140 different agencies work side-by-side in the RCFLs to provide expert digital forensic services to any law enforcement agency in a lab’s service area. Those assigned to the RCFL undergo extensive training to become FBI-certified as computer forensics examiners and must strictly adhere to the laboratory’s quality standards.

For more information on the NTRCFL, visit www.rcfl.gov/north-texas