FY 2016 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program

The County of San Mateo is located in Northern California. It is positioned immediately south of the County and City of San Francisco. San Mateo County's population is over 730,000 and is comprised of 450 square miles of land and 292 square miles of water, for a total of over 740 square miles, 25% of which is urban space. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Forensic Laboratory (SMCSO-FL) services approximately 30 law enforcement and law enforcement related agencies in the County of San Mateo and its surrounding areas. These agencies include San Mateo County departments such as the: Sheriff's Office, District Attorney's Office, Coroner's Office, Probation, Parks & Recreation, Animal Control, California Highway Patrol,local police departments, California Fish & Game, and transportation authorities. By contractual agreement, the SMCSO-FL also provides forensic services to the City of Vallejo (Solano County), the Cities of Concord and Pittsburg (Contra Costa County), and the City of Fremont (Alameda County). On May 11, 2005, the SMCSO-FL began performing STR DNA analysis. On September 11, 2010, the SMCSO-FL was accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board International (ASCLD/LAB). The SMCSO-FL undergoes external audits, not less than once every two (2) years, to demonstrate compliance with the DNA Quality Assurance Standards established by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Federal funding from the FY2016 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program will be used within a 24-month project period, beginning on January 1, 2017.
The SMCSO-FL's goals include:
1. Reducing the forensic DNA case turnaround times through the continued employment of
one (1) contract criminalist and the purchasing of supplies.
2. Providing the required continuing education for criminalists employed at the Laboratory.
The SMCSO-FL anticipates a reduction in the DNA case backlog; however, this reduction will not occur until the section completes the training of one (1) examiner. The SMCSO-FL expects:
-To complete at least 150 cases funded by the end of the award.
-To maintain a turnaround time of 175 days or less.
-Examiner throughput to exceed 25 samples per analyst per month.
Currently, six (6) fully qualified, independent, examiners are responsible for working on DNA cases, while one (1) examiner is in training and two (2) interns assist with general laboratory functions and screen evidence for the presence of DNA. nca/ncf