Forensic Science Labs continuing education and equipment upgrades

The Nevada Department of Public Safety's Office of Criminal Justice Assistance (OCJA) as the State Administering Agency (SAA) is requesting $237,852.00 in Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant-Formula Federal Funds to support accredited forensic laboratories with Project execution. OCJA will be requesting $10,227.00 for expenses associated with fiscal and programmatic management actions. The City of Henderson Police Department Forensic Lab will be requesting $20,486 for needed training, development, and certification for their forensic scientists in order to provide accurate and reliable results while improve the efficiency of the lab. This training will be both for Opioid and Non-Opioid purposes. That breakdown will show in the budget narrative. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Forensic Laboratory is requesting a total of $89,389 for Forensic Laboratory continuing education and improving the efficiency and timeliness of services. $53,389 will be used to send multiple members of the Forensic Laboratory to attend scientific meeting and trainings to obtain the latest information in each of their respective non-opioid fields, as well as funding overtime hours to help reduce cold case backlog. $36,000 will be used to purchase a service contract for the preliminary field test devices used by officers for drug screening. This will help enhance the LVMPD's ability to detect and analyze opioid forensic cases. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office Forensic Science Division is requesting $117,750 for education, training opportunities, and technology for analysis of Opioids. $87,374.00 will be funding the purchase of 4 TruNarc portable testing devices to help improve the quality of preliminary testing in the field and provide better preliminary results for court purposes. $30,376 will be utilized to allow staff to attend a variety of training and continuing education opportunities.