by Nick Delgado

Guam - The 2nd Regional Forensic Science Symposium kicked off today at the Harvest Christian Academy Life Center. The event was made possible through Department of Interior funding, and was attended by more than 250 Guam Community College students as well as law enforcement personnel.

The focus of the symposium is to educate participants on DNA basics, entomology, bomb and arson investigations, along with underwater crime scenes. Friends of the Crime Lab secretary/treasurer Sharon Ishizaki told KUAM News, "The underwater is a really good component that we did not have as I said we are surrounded by, this beautiful Pacific Ocean and God forbid we would ever have a disaster, say if an airplane for example landed in the ocean, we would then have 24 law enforcement personnel certified if used and they would not have to wait for somebody else to come in from off-island

DOI also provided a $360,000 grant for the expansion of the forensic facility at GCC. The symposium continues tomorrow.