Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2017, $503,322)
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is mandated by state statute to provide forensic services (i.e., casework and database) in criminal cases to all eligible agencies in the state of Oklahoma. The Biology discipline of the OSBI consists of three Forensic Biology Units.
The primary unit responsible for violent crime cases and a property crime/cold case unit are located at the Forensic Science Center in Edmond, Oklahoma, while a regional laboratory responsible for violent crime cases is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The CODIS unit of the OSBI is located at the Forensic Science Center and is responsible for processing offender samples in accordance with state and federal law.
The OSBI has been through significant budget cuts the past several years, and the state of Oklahomas legislature has indicated a continued significant budget shortfall for the next fiscal year; therefore, funding is limited for forensic services. The funding from this award will assist the OSBI in continuing its mission of providing Biology related forensic services and CODIS database services to agencies in Oklahoma. Without this funding, the agency may face the difficult task of reducing services provided to agencies throughout the state.
The OSBI has the following goals for this award:
1. Reduce and prevent the backlog of DNA cases and offender samples
2. Increase capacity in both casework and database
3. 30 day turnaround time for DNA cases
The OSBI seeks to improve casework productivity, decrease the overall turnaround time and backlog of cases, and maintain the productivity of analysis regarding offender DNA samples. The improvement in casework productivity and capacity for offender DNA sample processing will be achieved by funding technicians, purchase of small equipment (i.e., centrifuges, min-centrifuges, and vortexes) for DNA processing, and overtime for personnel. The increase in database capacity and decrease in turnaround time will be achieved through the purchase of new, faster thermal cyclers and the purchase of reagents and supplies which otherwise would not be purchased due to budget shortfalls and constraints.
The OSBI also seeks to fund a walk-in freezer for the long-term and temporary storage of biological evidence. The walk-in freezer will allow for the consolidation of samples into one robust storage location with multiple fail-safes and generator backup. This freezer will ensure the proper storage of biological samples prior to analysis and for long-term storage.
nca/ncf