Public Safety On the Job: Forensic Scientist service with the Illinois State Police

The following interview was provided by AFSCME Council 31. Tara Kerns is a Forensic Scientist III with the Illinois State Police and proud member of AFSCME Local 1964.

Tell us about your work.

I’ve been with the state police for 25 years. My specialty is toxicology. Most of my work involves testing blood and urine for alcohol; the majority of my cases are driving under the influence, and some involve sexual assault. My time is split pretty evenly. It’s about 50 percent in the lab and 50 percent on the computer. In the lab I run experiments on the samples, operate the instruments and handle evidence. Then I analyze the results and draw my conclusions.

Sometimes when a case goes to trial, we testify in court. I’ve testified over 30 times in my career.

Why did you become a forensic scientist?

I’ve always been a science and math nerd. I took every biology and chemistry class I could in high school, earned my chemistry degree from SIU Carbondale, and when I was ready to apply with the state, forensics was a natural match. It’s not easy to break into—there are a lot of applicants and not many people get hired.

Once you are hired, you go through an extensive training period. Mine was 15 months, learning instrumentation, theory, and how to interpret results. Toxicology was the discipline I wanted from the start because I love chemistry. That’s the one I went after, and that’s the one I got.

How do you make a difference in your work?

I love knowing I’m helping solve crimes—prosecuting the guilty and exonerating the innocent.

For most of my cases I never find out the outcome, but there are cases involving attempted murder or criminal sexual assault where I genuinely feel a sense of accomplishment.

I’m glad I have the skills to testify and speak up for people who can’t speak for themselves. You’re not going to get the appreciation from management, but at least I get appreciation from the victims or the people that need our assistance.

What are some of the challenges you face on the job?

The biggest frustration is management not listening to the people actually doing the work, and the red tape we have to jump through to get the equipment and advancements we should have. Just recently, our janitor retired and our lab hasn’t been cleaned properly since. We deal with biohazards, so that’s a serious safety concern we’re actively fighting to resolve.

How does your union help you succeed at work?

I grew up in a union household. My dad is a plumber-pipefitter, so I’ve always known the union is an asset. When I got this job, I wanted to get involved right away. I’ve been a steward for a long time and have served as VP and secretary on the local executive board.

My father taught me that with a union, when situations come up, you have people to rely on. The union helps us fight for what we need to do our jobs safely. Getting the lab cleaned, having our lab coats laundered, being provided with proper safety equipment—that’s all part of our contract.

The contract also establishes a clear timeline of promotions and steps from trainee all the way up, which provides real security. Knowing the union has my back means I can focus on my cases and not worry about what might come up.

How does your union help you live your life outside of work?

Knowing that our union contract affords us the sick time to take my daughter to the doctor and paid time off to go on vacations just means that we have real security.