FY 24 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction in Missouri

The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) Crime laboratory is a unit of state government that provides polymerase chain reaction – short tandem repeat DNA analysis on samples from crime scene evidence at no cost to all law enforcement agencies within the State of Missouri. The MSHP Crime laboratory operates three laboratories that have full forensic DNA casework capabilities: Jefferson City, Cape Girardeau and Springfield. Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 650.050 directs the Missouri Department of Public Safety to develop and establish a DNA Profiling System and further directs the Missouri State Highway Patrol crime laboratory to administrator the state's DNA index system. Missouri law authorizes the databasing section to collect DNA on all offenders convicted of a felony or sexual misdemeanors, arrestees under certain statutes and all registered sex offenders. The MSHP crime laboratory system including three DNA casework laboratories, DNA screening laboratory and databasing laboratory is accredited by the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board and accredited to the standard International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 17025:2017. Three casework, one screening and one convicted offender DNA programs undergo external quality assurance audits in accordance with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Quality Assurance Standards at least once every two years. As a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) participating laboratory system all eligible DNA profiles generated with the proposed funding can and will be uploaded to the National DNA Index System (NDIS). Presently, the MSHP DNA casework and DNA screening sections have a backlog of 4,980 cases. 

The goals for this grant are to reduce backlog and reduce the overall turnaround time for handling, screening, analyzing, and reviewing forensic biology/DNA samples. Increasing the capacity and efficiency of DNA programs will be the key elements to achieving these goals. The MSHP Laboratory proposes to achieve these goals by funding salaries for two criminalists, purchasing supplies to analyze cases, purchasing alternate light sources to replace older models, and upgrading analysis software to the newest version.