U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California issued the following announcement on Oct. 14.
U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer announced $1,222.116 in Department of Justice grants to San Diego agencies to fund crime laboratories, decrease DNA backlogs, support basic and applied forensic research, and help law enforcement identify missing persons. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of $192 million in funding to advance forensic science nationwide.
“Developments in forensic science have given investigators an extraordinary array of tools that can be enlisted to solve crimes and bring answers to victims and survivors, often after many years and even decades,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These investments in crime-fighting technology, from DNA analysis to drug toxicology to forensic anthropology, will help identify and convict perpetrators, ensure justice for innocent victims and keep communities safe by deterring future criminal activity.”
“DOJ’s significant investment in new technologies is an important piece of the puzzle posed by cold cases,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We must leave no stone unturned in our effort to increase public safety and deliver accountability and closure to victims.”
Since 2004, the Office of Justice Programs has received an annual appropriation for DNA and other forensic science activities. The funding, administered through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice, supports DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provides knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.
U.S. Attorney Brewer announced the following sizable grants to San Diego agencies:
- $376,004 to the City of San Diego and $376,112 to San Diego County funded by DOJ’s DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program, which has provided funding to states and local jurisdictions since 2011. The funding is awarded to states, then divided among eligible crime labs within the state. The awards assist with increasing the capacity for DNA analysis and the number of DNA samples, thereby decreasing the backlog and turnaround time for DNA analysis. Recipients may use funding to upgrade laboratories and purchase equipment and supplies, such as DNA sample collection kits.
- $470,000 to the County of San Diego District Attorney for the prosecution of violent crime cold cases where DNA from a suspect has been identified. These funds are designed to decrease the number of unresolved violent crime cold cases, using advances in forensic technologies that are resulting in successful analysis of evidence once thought to be unsuitable for testing.
“Developments in forensic science have given investigators an extraordinary array of tools that can be enlisted to solve crimes and bring answers to victims and survivors, often after many years and even decades,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These investments in crime-fighting technology, from DNA analysis to drug toxicology to forensic anthropology, will help identify and convict perpetrators, ensure justice for innocent victims and keep communities safe by deterring future criminal activity.”
“DOJ’s significant investment in new technologies is an important piece of the puzzle posed by cold cases,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We must leave no stone unturned in our effort to increase public safety and deliver accountability and closure to victims.”
Since 2004, the Office of Justice Programs has received an annual appropriation for DNA and other forensic science activities. The funding, administered through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice, supports DNA analysis, laboratory capacity enhancement and forensic science research that provides knowledge and tools to improve the quality and practice of forensic science.
U.S. Attorney Brewer announced the following sizable grants to San Diego agencies:
- $376,004 to the City of San Diego and $376,112 to San Diego County funded by DOJ’s DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program, which has provided funding to states and local jurisdictions since 2011. The funding is awarded to states, then divided among eligible crime labs within the state. The awards assist with increasing the capacity for DNA analysis and the number of DNA samples, thereby decreasing the backlog and turnaround time for DNA analysis. Recipients may use funding to upgrade laboratories and purchase equipment and supplies, such as DNA sample collection kits.
- $470,000 to the County of San Diego District Attorney for the prosecution of violent crime cold cases where DNA from a suspect has been identified. These funds are designed to decrease the number of unresolved violent crime cold cases, using advances in forensic technologies that are resulting in successful analysis of evidence once thought to be unsuitable for testing.