Minnesota 2016 Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant, Base Grant Application

Forensic Science services are provided to the citizens of Minnesota primarily by five accredited laboratories, the MN BCA Forensic Science Service (BCA FSS), the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab Unit (HCSO CLU), the Minneapolis Police Department Crime Lab Unit (MPD CLU), the Tri-County Regional Forensic Laboratory (Tri-County) and the St. Paul Police Department forensic Services Unit (SPP FSU). The directors of all five laboratories have agreed on a state plan that divides the funds available based on the population served by each agency. The plan allows the managers of each agency to determine how best to utilize their portion of the grant based on the needs of the organization and the amount of funding available. In general, some of the labs have chosen to utilize parts or all of their Coverdell funding to purchase equipment that will ensure timely and high quality examination are being performed and supplies used to perform daily casework. Several of the labs have opted to put their funding toward registration fees and/or travel costs associated with continuing education opportunities for managers and scientific staff. Their goal is to ensure a well-informed workforce that would lead to an increase in the quality of the forensic examinations being done in their facilities. nca/ncf.