Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2017, $321,413)
The Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division (MSP-FSD) requests funds under the 2017 DNA Backlog Reduction Program with the goal of focusing on DNA casework in an effort to continue to reduce existing backlogs and prevent future backlog build up while at the same time sustain/improve turn around time.
MSP-FSD has been very successful in the implementation of a long term project to control, significantly reduce and eventually eliminate the DNA casework backlog. This project is based on an approach that combines the use of in-house outsourcing and agency direct outsourcing of casework as well as a tier approach and other streamlining techniques to improve the in-house operations.
MSP-FSD's goal is to keep utilizing these techniques and therefore the requested funds are geared towards continuing this proven to be successful methods of addressing the casework backlog.
The federal funding from this award will be used for the following specific goals:
Goal 1: Reduce the backlog of forensic biology/DNA cases by outsourcing.
Goal 2: Maintain current laboratory capabilities and improve operations that were slightly slowed down in 2016 due to the extensive validation and the implementation of the expanded CODIS Core loci.
We will do that by completing the purchase of a 3500xl genetic analyzer (asking for funding to fund only a portion of the total cost of one of the two 3500xl instruments that MSP FSD has acquired), and upgrading those computers that are at the end of their life cycle as well as continue to supplement our in-house analysis with outsourcing.
Goal 3. Provide required continuing education
MSP-FSD expects to analyze by outsourcing 205 DNA cases and bring the backlog down to approximately 100 cases.
nca/ncf