FY24 Tarrant County Forensic DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Program

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s (TCME) Office is a regional Medical Examiner’s facility located in Fort Worth, Texas that provides services to Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and Johnson counties. These counties represent a core population of approximately three million citizens. The Medical Examiner’s Office operates a multidiscipline crime laboratory that offers forensic biology and DNA analysis. The forensic biology/DNA laboratory not only serves the Medical Examiner, District Attorney, and other Tarrant County agencies, but also provides analysis on a fee for service basis to law enforcement agencies throughout Texas. The Department of Justice has allocated funds for the state of Texas and the TCME Crime Laboratory has funding from the formula grant.

The proposed project would fund salary and fringe benefits for a Forensic Biologist and a Laboratory Technician to assist in the DNA analysis of casework, the validation of Rapid DNA instrument(s) to increase capacity for the upload of samples into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), laboratory equipment to assist in differential extractions and liquid handling, supplies for the DNA typing of casework and the Rapid DNA instrument validation, reimburse indirect costs, and fund required continuing education and travel for the DNA section.

The Federal funding from this award will be used for the following goals and objectives: increase the number of CODIS eligible samples analyzed in the forensic DNA laboratory by continuing to support the processing of forensic samples for DNA typing via the funding of salary and fringe benefits for a Forensic Biologist and a Laboratory Technician and allowing additional typing of crime scene samples with the purchase of required supplies for casework and Rapid DNA validation; and increase the capacity of the laboratory to carry out DNA analysis and decrease turnaround times for CODIS entry by purchasing equipment to assist in differential extractions and liquid handling, validating Rapid DNA instrument(s) for the processing of Federal Bureau of Investigation CODIS eligible samples, allowing the laboratory to meet requirements for continuing education for DNA analysts by funding meeting attendance for analysts in 2025-2026.