Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2018, $271,960)
The Oregon State Police (OSP), Forensic Services Division (FSD) provides scientific, technical and investigative support to the criminal justice system through the collection and forensic analysis of evidence.
The Division, accredited by ASCLD/LAB-International since 2006 to the ISO:IEC 17025:2005 and ASCLD-Lab Supplemental standards, provides the only full service forensic laboratory system in the state. The FSD provides service to all criminal justice agencies from its five forensic laboratories located in Portland, Springfield, Central Point, Bend, and Pendleton. There are 141 authorized positions in the division.
The Division has been averaging a 2% annual increase in submissions since 2009. The request volume in chemistry is projected to increase for the next 10 years. In 2017, the Forensic Services Division received 8,900 submissions and completed 8,490 (includes requests received prior to 2017). At the end of 2017 the backlog of controlled substance submissions was 3,523 with an upward trend. The average turn-around time in 2017 for controlled substance submissions was 108 days, 78 days beyond the Divisions 30 day target.
This grant will allow the Forensic Services Division to apply additional resources in the form of overtime and increase analytical capability with the purchase of a superior LC MS/MS instrument. The LC/MS/MS will not only aid in the identification of opioids and other hard-to-analyze compounds, like LSD and Psilocin (hallucinogenic mushrooms) that are problematic for traditional GC/MS analysis.
nca/ncf