How did Kuwait, a small, peaceful country with a per capita crime rate lower than Japan, substantiate the need for one of the largest forensic science facilities in the world? You may think that a flagship facility such as the one proposed for Kuwait is influenced by self-image – especially in a region now famous for building impressive, large scale structures – but for Kuwait, self-image is not the motivation. The new Kuwait Criminal Evidence Headquarters (KCE-HQ) has been shaped and scaled by need, respect for local culture, and a strict adherence to superior forensic and medical examination protocols.

Kuwait’s General Department of Criminal Evidence is considered one of the most important and vital resources of the Ministry of Interior not only for its contributions to criminal prosecution, but also for the development of fundamental data required for both Government and private sector employment. Established in 1961, the year of Kuwait’s independence, the Criminal Evidence Headquarters’ initial mission was death investigation and analysis of document forgeries. By the mid-1980s, full crime scene investigation and laboratory support were added. During the Iraqi Invasion of 1990 the KCE-HQ was totally destroyed but re-established in 1991, currently housed in interim facilities with minimal laboratory infrastructures. While relocating the KCE-HQ to a state of the art, innovative facility that supports the criminal justice system is a primary goal of the Directorate, this new facility also affords the Kuwaiti government the opportunity to expand the KCE-HQ mission beyond its traditional role of passive evidence verification into an active, crime prevention organization. New departments for Cyber Crimes and a National DNA Database Center will better address challenges arising from population changes due to increased immigration. The new, comprehensive facility will house the departments of:

• The General Directorate
• Criminal Laboratory
• Crime Scene
• Forensic Medicine
• Forgery and Counterfeit Prevention
• Personal Identification and Automated Fingerprint
• Quality Control
• Research, Development, and Training
• Service and Support
• Department of Utilities

CULTURAL PROGRAM ISSUES
The new KCE-HQ Headquarters is influenced by many factors typical of all international forensic buildings, but by comparison with U.S. or European facilities, some aspects are unique based on regional culture.

In the publication Forensic Laboratories: Handbook for Facility Planning, Design, Construction, and Moving¹ the U.S. National Institute of Justice notes that most modern forensic facilities fall within a range of 700 to 1000gsf per building occupant. Even though this reference is offered as a ballpark, many U.S. laboratory administrators believe it to be a reliable benchmark. Paradoxically, even though the Kuwait facility will be one of the largest in the world, the ratio of square feet per occupant is just under 319gsf. So what is it that makes the Kuwait criminal investigation facility so different from a typical U.S. model? For one, the Kuwait social benefit of full employment. This goal of full employment obviates the need for laboratory staff and laboratory administrators to manage extensive paperwork for reporting, accreditation, quality control, or other nonscientific activities. The higher number of available administrative staff helps lower the building occupant ratio because administrative and clerical staff does not need laboratory bench space in addition to an office. Some large-scale U.S. facilities also achieve efficient occupant ratios usually in the range of 450-500sf per occupant, but the need for these federal or municipal facilities is usually substantiated by a large per-capita crime rate. Kuwait’s legal system differs from the U.S. and possession of both alcohol and firearms are illegal. These restrictions alone result in a reduced need for some laboratory space.