ENHANCEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR FORENSIC ANALYSIS AND DEATH INVESTIGATIONS IN WASHINGTON STATE

Appointed by the Governor of the State of Washington, the Washington State Forensic Investigations Council (FIC) has the statutory authority to oversee the operations of the WSP Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau, and to improve the quality of death investigation through training and the development of policies and procedures. The designated State Administering Agency for the Paul Coverdell Grant Program is the WSP. Working in partnership with WSP, the FIC solicits and screens grant proposals from eligible agencies resulting in recommendations for funding given to WSP. The Council requests funding for the following high priority projects designed to develop and enhance the professional standards of practice for forensic analysis and death investigation: Project 1: King County Medical Examiner Statewide fatal drug overdose surveillance network $212,205 (opioid) $22,600 (non-opioid) Project 2: Kitsap County Coroner Maintenance costs for a Randox MultiStat Analyzer and one year of consumables $22,200 (opioid) Project 3: Lewis County Coroner Purchase equipment to more efficiently dry biological samples/evidence $7,229.39 (non-opioid) Project 4: Franklin County Coroner Purchase equipment and supplies to allow for in-house blood toxicology testing $48,230 (opioid), $7,740 (non-opioid) Project 5: Kittitas County Coroner Purchase communications equipment and a portable 3D geosystem laser scanner $60,464.68 (non-opioid) Project 6: Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office Purchase LED overhead lighting system to replace obsolete autopsy table lighting $7,422.03 (non-opioid) Project 7: Stevens County Coroner Purchase body pouches and breathable hand evidence preservation bags $1,323.90 (non-opioid) Project 8: Yakima County Coroner Purchase a portable X-Ray Machine $42,608 (non-opioid) Project 9: Washington State Patrol Toxicology Laboratory Outsource evidence kits to Coroner’s and Medical Examiner’s across Washington $23,230 (non-opioid) These projects will improve the practice of forensic science in Washington by: improving the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services, including those services provided by laboratories operated by the WSP and those operated by units of local government within Washington; and eliminating a backlog in the analysis of forensic science evidence.