“Enhancing Tennessee's Lawfully Owed DNA Initiative – SAKI 2024”

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is requesting grant funds under the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to support an increase in size and expertise for both the TBI Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Team and the statewide multidisciplinary response team to implement the next phase of Tennessee’s Lawfully Owed DNA Initiative.
This award will add roles related to DNA collections and training, investigative support, intelligence analysis, and data review. These additions will broaden the scope of the statewide census for identification of additional qualifying individuals; finalize and implement a robust DNA collection and training plan; ensure adherence to victim services protocols; continue testing of collected lawfully owed DNA samples and increase the capacity to track subsequent investigations and prosecutions resulting from Combined DNA Index System hits; and add research and other key partners to aid response team in review of existing procedures and implementation of new strategies to reduce future occurrence of uncollected DNA samples. As home of the state’s Crime Lab, Combined DNA Index System Administrator, Criminal History Repository, Sex Offender Registry, and Fusion Center, the TBI and its partners are uniquely equipped to successfully expand this initiative to comprehensively respond to sexual assault and other violent crime cold cases throughout the state of Tennessee.