The colorado springs metro crime laboratory (MCL) provides forensic science services to law enforcement agencies in EL paso county (colorado), primarily serving the colorado springs police department,…

The Colorado Springs Metro Crime Laboratory (MCL) received a $250,000 Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741). The funding will support two full-time DNA analyst positions and one 0.75 FTE DNA analyst position to enhance the MCL's current capacity to process DNA samples. Additionally, the grant will cover attendance at mandatory forensic workshops for two key personnel from the MCL in 2024 and 2025. These activities are aimed at increasing the MCL's DNA analysis capacity, reducing sample backlogs, and enabling more DNA profiles to be entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) to aid criminal investigations. The grant period runs from Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025.

The colorado springs metro crime laboratory (MCL) provides forensic science services to law enforcement agencies in EL paso county (colorado), primarily serving the colorado springs police department, the EL paso county sheriffs office and the 4TH judicial district attorneys office. Continuation funding for personnel costs is requested for two full-time (FT) grant funded DNA analyst positions and one .75 ftegrant funded position to enhance current capacity. Moving the part-time DNA analyst to .75 FT will allow the mcls DNA unit a small increase in its capacity to process more DNA samples. Supporting these three positions with cebr grant funding is critical to ensure DNA analysis is done and to increase the capacity to process more DNA samples for entry into codis. In addition, funding is requested for attendance at the mandatory forensic workshops during the grant period (2024 and 2025) for two key personnel from the MCL. The workshops will focus on valuable information related to the elements of a successful project and key issues impacting forensic DNA processing. The proposed grant request will allow the mcls DNA unit to increase the current capacity to conduct DNA analysis. This request will address the goals of the DNA capacity enhancement for backlog reduction (cebr) program, which is to help eligible states and units of local government to increase laboratory capacity and reduce backlog of forensic and database DNA samples.