The crime laboratory is expected to experience budget cycles in which no new growth requests for DNA positions will be approved for the next two fiscal years

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the U.S. Department of Justice awarded a $475,108 DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741) formula grant to the County of Sacramento Department of Finance Division. The grant will fund three key activities over a 2-year period from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2025:

1. One DNA analyst position to analyze evidence samples and increase the number of CODIS-eligible DNA profiles to help reduce the crime laboratory's DNA backlog.

2. Travel funding for three DNA analysts to attend a national DNA conference for continuing education and to learn about new DNA technologies.

3. Validation and oversight of a new DNA analysis instrument (the Thermo Fisher Applied Biosystems HID NIMBUS PRESTO System) as well as training for two new DNA technicians/analysts to increase the laboratory's overall processing capacity.

The grant supports the crime laboratory's efforts to maintain DNA analysis capacity and productivity despite recent staffing losses due to retirements and promotions.

In the past three years, the crime laboratory has lost three full-time qualified DNA analysts due to retirements or promotions. Despite these challenges, the crime laboratory is committed to meeting the DNA capacity enhancement for backlog reduction (cebr) program goals of 1) increasing the number of codis eligible samples analyzed and 2) increasing the capacity to process evidence samples. The first goal will be accomplished by continuing the grant funding of one DNA analyst to analyze evidence associated with designated crime cases to increase the number of codis eligible samples analyzed which will support a decrease in the laboratorys DNA backlog. In addition, the crime laboratory will use grant funds for three DNA analysts to travel to a national DNA conference to satisfy their continuing education requirements and learn about new DNA innovations, instruments, and technologies. To fulfill the capacity enhancement goal, the crime laboratorys DNA technical lead will be funded by the cebr grant to perform and oversee validations including the thermofisher applied biosystems HID nimbus presto system as well as to oversee the training of two new DNA technicians/analysts. The ability to increase a laboratory's capacity is based on the implementation of instruments and technology designed to increase efficiency. Integrating newly qualified DNA technicians/analysts into DNA casework will also support the goal of increasing the capacity to process more evidence samples.