Hennepin County Sheriff-Forensic Science Lab Technology Improvements to Combat Gun Violence

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is seeking funding under the FY 24 Congressionally Appropriated Funding project to purchase two light comparison microscopes (LCM) and one 3D virtual comparison microscope (VCM) for our Crime Laboratory Firearm Section. The proposed instruments will provide a sufficient number of LCM’s to account for the additional forensic firearm scientists hired as a result of a 149% increase in the firearm requests. The VCM will provide the latest technology in firearm examinations. The VCM produces high-definition scans of the evidence surface topography and optimizes the resulting image so the examiner can make comparisons virtually with highly tuned data, eventually resulting in higher throughput and faster turnaround times. Ultimately, we believe the acquisition of this critically needed equipment will make an impact to public safety within our jurisdiction.