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COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
Sheriff’s Office
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DATE:
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October 20, 2010
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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November 9, 2010
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SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:
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None
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VOTE REQUIRED:
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4/5ths
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TO:
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Honorable Board of Supervisors
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FROM:
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Sheriff Greg Munks
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SUBJECT:
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Solving Cold Cases with DNA Grant Program
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RECOMMENDATION:
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A.
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Adopt a Resolution:
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1.
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Accepting the Solving Cold Cases with DNA grant in the amount of $217,178; and
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2.
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Authorizing the Sheriff or Sheriff’s designee to execute all necessary documents in connection with the grant including but not limited to agreements, amendments, and grant assurances.
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B.
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Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) in the amount of $217,178 from Unanticipated Revenue to various accounts for the expenditure of the grant. (4/5ths vote required)
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BACKGROUND:
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The Solving Cold Cases with DNA grant, through the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, offers assistance to States and units of local government to identify, review, and investigate “violent crime cold cases” that have the potential to be solved using DNA analysis and to locate and analyze biological evidence associated with these cases. Experience has shown that cold case programs can solve a substantial number of violent crime cold cases, including homicides and sexual assaults. Advances in DNA technologies have substantially increased the successful DNA analysis of aged, degraded, limited, or otherwise compromised biological evidence. As a result, crime scene samples once thought to be unsuitable for testing may now yield DNA profiles. Additionally, samples that previously generated inconclusive DNA results may now be successfully analyzed using newer methods.
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DISCUSSION:
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The Sheriff’s Office has approximately 247 open or unsolved cases since 1970. This number does not reflect the unsolved cases for each of the thirty law enforcement and law enforcement related agencies in the County. With decreasing resources to investigate these crimes, the resources to investigate cold cases are nearly extinct.
The Sheriff’s Office applied for and has been awarded the Solving Cold Cases with DNA grant in the amount of $217,178, for a period of 18 months, commencing October 1, 2010 through March 31, 2012.
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In a collaborative team approach with local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, the Sheriff’s Office will forensically investigate cold cases, sexual assault cases and homicides for which all significant investigative leads have been exhausted. This funding will allow the Forensic Laboratory the opportunity to conduct further testing on cold case DNA evidence and identify suspects of violent crime cases for prosecution.
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The Forensic Laboratory plans to use funds from the Solving Cold Cases with DNA grant to: 1) fund overtime for analysts directly engaged in case review, location of evidence, and DNA analysis; 2) fund the purchase of laboratory equipment (a microscope and an autoclave) to reduce a laboratory bottleneck located in DNA analysis and glassware preparation; 3) upgrade computer hardware and software used by the Forensic Biology Section (laptops and Genemapper software); 4) purchase chemicals for DNA analysis (DNA kits); 5) fund contract services to support the Forensic Biology Section staff; and 6) hire and train interns to screen evidence for the presence of biological evidence.
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County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution as to form.
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Approval of this grant award contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by allowing further testing of evidence to properly identify suspects of violent crimes for prosecution.
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PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
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Measures
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FY 2010-11
Target
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FY 2011-12
Target
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Number of Forensic Biology (DNA) items received
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500
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500
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Percent of major cases completed in less than 60 days from assignment
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50%
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50%
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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The Solving Cold Cases with DNA grant award is for the amount of $217,178, for a period commencing October 1, 2010 to March 31, 2012. This grant does not require any matching County funds. There is no Net County Cost.
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