An important objective of the ST. Louis county police crime laboratory is to provide more efficient processing to reduce or at least maintain turnaround time and increase the number of forensic DNA…

The St. Louis County, Missouri, Crime Laboratory received a $311,463 Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the FY 2023 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741). The funding will be used to maintain two full-time Biology/DNA Analyst positions and one DNA Technician position, as well as purchase new equipment and software to enhance the laboratory's DNA processing capacity and efficiency. Key products and services to be delivered include:

• Maintaining DNA analysis personnel to increase the number of forensic DNA samples processed and entered into CODIS to support criminal investigations
• Acquiring FASTR software licenses and large monitors to improve DNA analyst workflow
• Replacing an aged CODIS server to ensure continued utilization of the DNA database
• Purchasing a new thermomixer to support a validation project and improve DNA processing methods
• Obtaining Crime-Lites to aid in identifying body fluids for DNA analysis

Over the 24-month award period, the St. Louis County Crime Laboratory expects to complete approximately 6,000 cases, with 2,000 cases attributed to this grant funding.

An important objective of the ST. Louis county police crime laboratory is to provide more efficient processing to reduce or at least maintain turnaround time and increase the number of forensic DNA samples processed and entered in the combined DNA index system. The laboratory serves more than one million citizens and provides services to the ST. Louis county police department as well as 88 municipalities, 51 which have their own police department. Grant funding provided by the 2023 formula DNA capacity enhancement and backlog reduction program will be used to maintain two full-time biology/DNA analyst positions and one DNA technician position. Additional fastr software licenses and large monitors for each DNA analyst will aid in a more efficient workflow. A new codis server will replace aged equipment and ensure the continued utilization of the database. The requested thermomixer will support a validation project and improve processes over current methods. The crime-lites will aid in the identification of body fluids for DNA processing. The ST. Louis county crime laboratory expects to complete approximately 6000 cases total (approximately 2,000 of those cases attributed to grant funding) over the award period of 24 months.