2016 Oklahoma Forensic Science Improvement Grant

In Oklahoma numerous law enforcement agencies provide forensic science and/or medical examiner services in one, or more than one, of the most common forensic science disciplines. The State of Oklahoma respectfully requests to utilize the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Formula Grant to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services for the criminal justice system in the State of Oklahoma and to reduce or eliminate the backlog of evidence in forensic science cases by funding five (5) state and local forensic science labs. The labs in this proposal include the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), the Tulsa Police Department Forensic Laboratory (TPDFL), the Ardmore Police Department (APO), and the Norman Police Department (NPD). Both the APO and the NPD provide latent prints services. The OCME provides toxicology services. OSBI provides services in biology, controlled substances, firearms/tool marks, latent prints, toxicology, trace evidence, and digital/multimedia evidence. Finally, TPDFL provides services in biology, controlled substances, firearms/tool marks, latent prints, toxicology, trace evidence, and questioned documents. The State of Oklahoma is eligible for $95,282.00 under the FY2016 Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Formula Grant Program. As the state administering agency for the Coverdell Grants, the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council will use ten percent (10%), or $9,528.20 of the allocated funds for personnel costs and operating expenses needed to implement the grant program. The remaining funds will be allocated to the five (5) participating labs based on the number of full-time analysts at the individual lab compared to the total number of analysts for all participating labs. Two agencies (OCME and OSBI) are requesting grant funds for registration fees to attend professional training conferences and three agencies (APO, NPD, TPDFL) will be using the grant funds for annual laboratory accreditation fees. Other requested expenses are travel costs to attend training conferences (OCME), equipment costs (OSBI), and personnel and benefits costs (OSBI and TPDFL).

nca/ncf