often relied on the Ontario Provincial Police for forensic investigation assistance and would involve the police services for interviewing witnesses. Similarly, there were many cases where the police service conducted the investigation under SIU supervision. This was a problem because the public still saw the police being policed by the police. As a result, the SIU's budget was increased to $4.7 million in the 1999–2000 fiscal year. Currently, the SIU is equipped with their own in-house forensic identification team, staffed entirely by civilians. They are now well equipped with tools and personnel. The in-house forensic identification team is an important part of most investigations. It is managed by two supervisors and staffed by a handful of forensic identification technicians and includes a fully equipped laboratory. The forensics identification team is responsible for protecting, collecting, preserving, and analyzing the physical evidence. Their duties include the interpretation of trace evidence and recording of the autopsy process. The team has particular expertise in several areas of forensics, including collision reconstructions, scene mapping, and bloodstain pattern analysis. They also liaise with scientists at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Ontario and other external experts for DNA analysis and ballistics. Director Affected Persons Program Dealing in a compassionate and respectful manner with injured persons and families of those whose deaths are subject of an investigation is a top priority. To highlight this commitment, an affected persons coordinator (APC) position was developed in 2005, contributing to the ability of the SIU to respond meaningfully to the social needs of those persons impacted by the SIU investigations. The APC takes the lead in liaising with affected individuals and/or families. The primary function of the APC is to do a very specific kind of outreach by helping persons impacted by the SIU investigations access required support services, such as professional counselling, financial assistance or admission into rehabilitation programs. The APC also sends condolences to families that experience a death as a result of the police action that the SIU is investigating, and follows up to offer further assistance. The coordinator's services are available on a 24/7 basis and can be offered over the telephone or in person. Occurrences The following data is sourced from the SIU's annual reports: Accusations of bias The SIU has been accused of having a pro-police bias. The attorney general stated in a 2003 report that: Civilian oversight in the form of the SIU