The lake county crime laboratory (lccl) is a forensic laboratory performing DNA analysis for criminal investigations

The Lake County Crime Laboratory (LCCL) will receive $261,554 under a Formula Grant from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741) from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024. The LCCL will use the funding to retain a qualified DNA analyst, purchase service contracts for current DNA instrumentation and software maintenance, and procure consumables and equipment to optimize DNA analysis. Specifically, retaining the second qualified analyst is critical to maintaining quality assurance standards and NDIS requirements for the laboratory's continued use of the CODIS database. Service contracts and software updates will ensure minimal downtime of DNA equipment and the most current mixture interpretation software. Consumables and new technologies will be obtained using the remaining funds. The County of Lake will serve as the awardee and provide products and services through the LCCL's DNA analysis unit located in Painesville, Ohio.

The purpose of this project is to maintain and enhance the capacity of the lccl's DNA analysis unit due to the use of more sensitive DNA testing kits, the lccl has had great success with touch DNA samples, leading to an increase in DNA analysis requests. The lccl currently employs two qualified DNA analysts, one of which also holds the position of laboratory director, as well as a DNA technician. IT falls to the second qualified analyst to assume most of the DNA caseload. The lccl must utilize a portion of the 2022 cebr grant funding to retain the second qualified DNA analyst who has been grant funded in the past. IT is imperative that the lccl retain this analyst in order to maintain compliance with the quality assurance standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories and ndis requirements to ensure continued use of the codis database a portion of the 2022 cebr grant funding will be utilized to purchase service contracts for current DNA laboratory instrumentation and software maintenance in order to ensure that the laboratory does not experience significant delays due to instrument down time and maintains the most up-to-date mixture interpretation software. The remaining portion of the 2022 cebr grant will be utilized to purchase consumables for sample analysis and validation of new technologies as well as equipment to optimize analysis results.