BJA FY 23 Formula DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Crime Laboratory

The Crime Laboratory, under the Office of the Santa Clara County District Attorney, is the local government laboratory responsible for the analysis of physical evidence collected within Santa Clara County. It serves over 13 criminal justice agencies, including the Sheriff and Medical Examiner’s Offices.

Crimes reported for Santa Clara County in calendar year 2021, included 6,800 violent crimes, 41,997 property crimes, 25,671 instances of larceny-theft, and 459 cases of arson. The Forensic Biology/DNA Unit of the crime laboratory is a full-service laboratory providing biological screening of evidence, autosomal STR analysis, and Y-STR analysis. 

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Crime Laboratory (SCCDACL) has a backlog of samples awaiting analysis, and due to Assembly Bill (AB) 1517, California State Senate Bill 22, and the Attorney General’s Report with relation to processing non-investigative report sexual assault kits (SAFE kits), the SCCDACL has observed an increase in samples submitted for DNA analysis. The DNA Unit will use grant funding towards a Criminalist position; service agreements for the DNA LIMS, software, and equipment; and to purchase one GlobalFiler amplification kit. With the Criminalist position and one amplification kit, backlogged DNA cases will be processed to enter profiles into CODIS. The service agreements will also support working DNA samples on the backlog for CODIS entry. These goals and objectives will support all the agencies for Santa Clara County.