Nebraska State Patrol FY22 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program

The Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab (NSPCL is a division of the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP). The NSPCL is responsible for analyzing evidence associated with criminal investigations for all state and local law enforcement agencies in the state of Nebraska.  The NSPCL is internationally accredited by the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board (ANAB).

Consistent increases in case submissions, rising backlogs and lagging resources have strained the NSPCL staff’s ability to provide timely services to its customers.  While analytical staff numbers have slowly increased to meet customer demands, the Lab has relied on Coverdell funding to provide adequate evidence handling staff since 2019.

The FY2022 funding will be utilized to achieve the following goals:

To provide quality and timely service to our law enforcement community as well as our own internal laboratory customers in the area of evidence handling and administrative support through continued funding of two evidence technicians.
To provide essential discipline specific continuing education for laboratory staff to ensure they stay abreast of current technologies and emerging trends in their respective disciplines.
To provide quality and timely service to our law enforcement community through funding the purchase of a Digital Capture System with Cylindrical Surface Un-wrapper for the latent print section, a digital camera in the evidence section and seven vortexes in the controlled substances section.

The funding made available through this project, will enable the NSPCL to conduct forensic analysis utilizing qualified personnel, with reliable and modern technology. Under this project, the NSPCL will satisfy unmet priority needs, improving the quality and timeliness of forensic laboratory services to law enforcement agencies in Nebraska.