(NewsNation) — A crime lab responsible for doing essential DNA, drug and gun testing in Washington, D.C. is re-opening two years after key functions were shuttered due to a series of mistakes and an alleged coverup.

The D.C. crime lab lost its credentials in 2021 after a string of gun testing mistakes stemming from a 2015 murder case. Now, important parts of the lab are getting re-accredited as D.C. faces a major uptick in homicides and other violent crimes.

NewsNation got the first look inside the lab since the important work began again in 2023.

Scientists are plugging away at lab work, performing DNA sampling and analysis as well as drug testing and identification. The lab is one of the major tools D.C. is using to fight the surge in crime over the last couple of years.

“We as a laboratory are able to start processing specimens and start giving out results. Because we were not active during the last two years it will take a little bit of time for us to get full speed ahead,” said Dr. Francisco Diaz, interim director at the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences.

Diaz told NewsNation he stands behind the lab’s science “100%,” despite the past criticisms that led to the loss of accreditation.

While the work of the crime lab will help hold D.C. criminals accountable and exonerate the innocent, the lab also sends DNA from crime scenes straight to the national database, which could help solve crimes all over the country.

Prosecutors have blamed the lack of a fully operational crime lab for the declining prosecutions over the last few years. During that time, homicides were up 35%, the worst levels in two decades. Overall, violent crime was up 39%.

However, early indicators show the nation’s capital is now trending in a positive direction, with homicides down nearly 20% this year compared to the same time last year. Meanwhile, all violent crime is down 8%.