Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2016, $100,498)
The Biology section of the Johnson County Sheriffs Office Criminalistics Laboratory (JCSOCL) consists of nine Forensic Scientists (FS). Currently one FS is a grant funded position. All FS assigned to the Biology section are capable of performing biological screening and DNA analyses. The Biology Supervisor/DNA Technical Leader spends the majority of their time performing duties other than casework.
Problem:
In 2015, the population of Johnson County, Kansas rose to an estimated 580,159 people. This represents a 6.6% increase from 2010 population estimates. Evidence submissions for biological screening and DNA analysis has increased over 51% in the course two years and has exceeded the laboratorys output capacity for timely analyses.
Goals and Objectives:
Retain one grant funded staff position
Maintain the current level of casework productivity
Maintain or reduce case/item backlogs and turnaround times
Project Strategy:
Continual improvements have been made to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Biology section related to evidence acceptance policies, new technologies, additional infrastructure, and personnel. It is critical that we at least maintain, if not increase, the level of staffing in the Biology section. This funding will be used to retain the current grant funded position. The amount of funding that is available to the county will be enough to pay the salary and benefits for the one grant funded position for a 58 week period.
Partnerships:
The JCSOCL has been working in cooperation with the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI) and the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center (SCRFSC) for DNA Capacity and Backlog Reduction Program grants. According to the KBI and SCRFSC points of contact, the KBI, SCRFSC, and JCSOCL forensic laboratories in Kansas will be requesting funds from the FY2015 DNA Backlog Reduction Program grant.
Outcomes and Deliverables:
It will be a goal for the grant funded position to be able to work approximately 78 DNA cases, 384 DNA items, 71 biology cases, and 321 biology items of evidence in 58 weeks.
nca/ncf