Project Grant 15PBJA21GG04356DNAX

The County of Sacramento received a $500,000 project grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the DNA Backlog Reduction Program to expand its Cold Case DNA Prosecution Team. The team will increase its capacity to prosecute violent crime cold cases where DNA evidence has been obtained but no suspects have been identified, as well as decrease the number of cold cases where suspect DNA has been identified but not prosecuted....

The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office in Modesto, California will receive $500,000 under a three-year Project Grant award from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to review, investigate, and analyze unsolved violent crime cold cases dating back at least three years that may be solved through forensic techniques and DNA evidence. The District Attorney's Office will work with local law enforcement agencies to increase prosecutions of violent cold cases and...

The Contra Costa District Attorney's Office and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff have been awarded a $450,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Comprehensive Forensic DNA Analysis Grant Program (CFDA 16.036). The grant will fund a Cold Case Homicide Investigation Project to review unsolved homicide cases, conduct further forensic testing and analysis, and prepare cases for prosecution. Key activities include assigning two...

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office (SDCDA) received a $533,200 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741) to support its Cold Homicide and Research Genealogy Effort (CHARGE). This program utilizes forensic genetic genealogy to identify suspects and prosecute cold case homicides in San Diego County. The CHARGE program selects appropriate cold cases with existing DNA profiles, procures...

The Westchester County District Attorney's Office was awarded $500,000 under the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance's DNA Backlog Reduction Program to add an additional prosecutor to its newly formed Cold Case Bureau. The Cold Case Bureau, currently staffed by one prosecutor, is responsible for reviewing over 100 unsolved homicide and violent crime cases, 27 of which have identified suspect DNA evidence. An additional prosecutor will allow the Bureau to further investigate...

The Madera County Sheriff's Office was awarded a $703,000 Project Grant from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Congressionally Recommended Awards program (CFDA 16.753) to implement a Rapid DNA System project. The project aims to make Rapid DNA analysis capabilities available to surrounding law enforcement agencies in Madera County, California. Key project activities include establishing a Rapid DNA program that will enable deputies to process DNA samples in 90...

The County of Fresno, California was awarded $357,528 under the DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741) Formula Grant to reduce forensic DNA case backlogs and turnaround times from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2024. The funding will support continued staffing of one criminalist position at the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Forensic Laboratory to perform STR analysis and reduce the backlog of over 10 unsolved homicide/rape cases requiring DNA examination. Additional activities include...

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office (CCPO) was awarded $500,000 under the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance's DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741) to utilize forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) in investigating unsolved homicides from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025. Specifically, the CCPO will leverage its existing expertise in DNA analysis and FGG to identify which of the 282 DNA profiles in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) with no...

The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Forensic Services Division has been awarded a $251,941 Formula Grant under the U.S. Department of Justice's DNA Backlog Reduction Program (CFDA 16.741). The grant funding will be used to provide salary and fringe benefits for two full-time Forensic Analyst Project positions. These grant-funded employees will support the Biology/DNA Unit by validating new DNA methods and technologies, processing DNA casework to reduce backlogs, and performing critical...

The County of Santa Clara, operating as the Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory, has received a $408,231 formula grant award 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 the laboratory's efforts to enhance its DNA analysis capabilities and reduce backlogs of forensic DNA evidence awaiting processing. Specifically, the grant will fund a criminalist position, service agreements for the...