Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2024, $656,527)
The North Carolina State Crime Laboratory system (NCSCL) consists of three regional facilities: Raleigh, Triad Regional and Western Regional Laboratories. These laboratories perform various types of forensic analysis for the entire state of North Carolina.
To better serve customers, all Drug Chemistry, all Toxicology, Raleigh Latent Evidence, Raleigh Digital Evidence and Raleigh Trace Evidence sections are requesting funding from the 2024 Coverdell Formula grant to increase the expertise of their forensic examiners through scientific meetings/training and to improve efficiency as it relates to forensic analysis through the purchase of newer/additional instrumentation.
The crime laboratory is requesting funding for two training opportunities. The first request is to send sixteen drug chemists to the 2026 Southern Association of Forensic Scientists (SAFS) meeting. Attending this conference allows forensic scientists to network with others in the discipline and to stay abreast of current topics affecting the analysis of seized drugs, in addition to providing forensic scientists the opportunity for continuing education credits.
The second request is to provide level 1 and level 2 training for four digital evidence examiners taught by LEVA. Level 1 prepares first responders such as officers, detectives, and crime scene investigators who may be responsible for collecting video evidence while level 2 exposes students to more advanced theory and hands-on techniques that conform to the Best Practices for the Acquisition and Processing of Digital Multimedia Evidence (DME).”
To continue to provide quality analysis efficiently and effectively, additional and/or replacement instrumentation is required. As a result, two FTIRs, three GCMSs, two stereomicroscopes, one pistol grip laser and one benchtop centrifuge are being requested.
To maintain instrument precision, the Raleigh Drug Chemistry section is also requesting funding for four marble slabs to be used to stabilize section balances due to building vibration in a portion of the laboratory.
It is expected that the purchase of this instrumentation will increase laboratory efficiency and subsequently increase casework production which should lower turnaround times and the number of backlogged cases. These effects will be monitored through the laboratory’s information monitoring system, Forensic Advantage (FA).