Zurich Forensic Science Institute
The Zurich Forensic Science Institute (FOR) employs around 160 police officers and civil employees. We actively promote the tried-and-true combination of expertise in the areas of law enforcement and science/technology.
Thanks to its extensive range of services, our institute is the leading institution for forensic expertise in Switzerland, performing central-office tasks for national and international partner organizations.
Publications
The Zurich Forensic Science Institute regularly publishes professional articles on a range of subjects relating to criminal sciences and accident analysis.
Media
The Zurich Forensic Science Institute pursues an open information policy within the bounds of the law.
Media requests
In exercising our duties on behalf of law enforcement authorities, we are required to maintain strict confidentiality under Article 320 of the Swiss Criminal Code. Therefore, all information regarding ongoing cases will only be communicated through the media offices of the Zurich Cantonal Police or the Zurich City Police.
Main corps
The Zurich Forensic Science Institute (FOR) was created in 2010 with the merger of the Forensic Science Department of the Zurich Cantonal Police and the Scientific Service / Scientific Research Service of the Zurich City Police, before becoming an independent institution under public law in 2022.
In addition to civil employees, our institute also employs Zurich cantonal police officers and Zurich city police officers.
These two main corps are the most important partners of the FOR, and a culture of cooperation is actively cultivated. The FOR benefits from its proximity to the police, while the Zurich cantonal and city police can rely on their "own" forensics despite the institute's independence.
The police chiefs and one other member of the management of each of the two main corps have seats on the institute's board.
