Guam FY 2023 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program

The intent of the proposal is to provide the Guam Police Department (GPD) Forensic Science Division (FSD) with updated forensic instrumentation, comprehensive training, and the necessary assessments and system maintenance required to address the emerging opioid abuse crisis and to improve the quality and timeliness for the processing and analysis of forensic evidence in compliance with approved laboratory standards.   

Implementation of the proposed activities will reduce the backlog processing of case evidence by at least 20%; increase forensic quality of processed case evidence; and increase and enhance knowledge, skills and capacity of FSD personnel in the areas of Firearms and Tool mark examinations. 

In an effort to maintain accreditation standards, the GPD will implement regular annual maintenance of its Cogent Automated Biometrics Identification System (CABIS) and Automated Ballistic Identification System (ABIS).  The CABIS system is used to identify suspects through fingerprint analysis, while the ABIS system is used to match ballistic evidence to firearms used in crimes. Regular maintenance of GPD’s CABIS and ABIS systems is critical for its Forensic laboratory to ensure accurate and reliable results in criminal investigations, to comply with industry standards and regulations, and to maintain system integrity. This is necessary to support critical forensic investigations and provide important identification information for law enforcement agencies. Moreover, accrediting bodies may require regular maintenance records as part of the accreditation process to ensure that the lab is meeting necessary quality standards.