Montgomery County Police Department Crime Laboratory FY24 DNA Backlog Award

The Montgomery County Police Crime Laboratory (MCPCL) is the agency that is responsible for analyzing evidential material associated with criminal investigations for the Montgomery County Police Department in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As a courtesy, the MCPCL performs analysis for the following other agencies in Montgomery County, Maryland: Takoma Park Police Department, Gaithersburg City Police Department, Rockville City Police Department, Maryland-National Capital Park Police Montgomery County Division, and Metro Transit Police Department. MCPCL is a full forensic DNA casework laboratory and is accredited under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board program.

The goals and expected outcomes for MCPCL Forensic Biology Unit are to outsource cases as needed to assist with the current backlog and compensate for an anticipated increase in case submissions as the laboratory moves toward an electronic submission platform. Outsourcing will assist with processing more DNA samples for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and help reduce the unit’s backlog. In order to reach the goals, set forth by the MCPCL Forensic Biology Unit, cases will be outsourced to the vendor laboratory, Bode Technology.
 

An overall effort to increase the capacity of the MCPCL Forensic Biology Unit to possess the ability to process more DNA samples and thereby help reduce the number of forensic DNA samples awaiting analysis. Overall, the reduction in samples waiting for analysis will decrease the turnaround time for cases received in the unit.