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

This $250,000 Formula Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.741 - DNA Backlog Reduction Program) supports the Lake County Crime Laboratory (LCCL) in Ohio. The funding will enable the LCCL to maintain and potentially reduce its DNA analysis backlog by retaining a qualified DNA analyst and hiring an additional analyst. This will ensure the LCCL can comply with quality assurance and CODIS requirements, while also addressing the increased demand for DNA analysis due to the use of more sensitive testing kits. Additionally, the grant will cover service contracts for DNA laboratory instrumentation and software licenses to minimize equipment downtime and maintain access to the laboratory information management system. These efforts are intended to enhance the LCCL's capacity and efficiency in processing DNA samples to support criminal investigations.

The purpose of this project is to maintain and potentially further reduce the case backlog of the lccls 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 approximately 90% of the DNA caseload. The lccl must utilize a portion of the cebr grant funding to retain the primary qualified DNA analyst who has been grant funded in the past. Additionally, the laboratory will utilize a portion of the cebr funding to hire an additional analyst to take the burden off of the primary qualified analyst. IT is imperative that the lccl retain this analyst and hire an additional 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, as well as maintain the laboratory's current minimal backlog. The remaining cebr grant funding will be utilized to purchase service contracts for current DNA laboratory instrumentation and software licenses for the laboratory information management system (lims). This will ensure that the laboratory does not experience significant delays due to instrument down time and maintains access to the lims for case record documentation and reporting.