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CC - CONSENT ITEM: Approval of an Application for $51,136 in Grant Funds through the FY 2025 California Office of Emergency Services, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement (CQ) Program.
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Meeting Date: January 27, 2025
Contact Person/Dept.: Captain Luis Martinez / Police Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6391
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (01/22/2025)
Department Approval: Jason Sims, Police Chief (01/07/2025) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve an application for grant funds in the amount of $51,136 through the FY 2025 California Office of Emergency Services, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services , Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement (CQ) Program.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) announced the availability of grant funds for Fiscal Year 2025. Funds awarded through this grant will allow California’s local forensic science laboratories, medical examiners’ offices, and coroners’ offices to continue to provide support to law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies throughout the state.
The Culver City Police Department is eligible to apply for up to $51,136 in non-competitive grant funding through the FY 2024-25 Cal OES Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant, funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Grant funding must be used to cover the costs associated with acquiring and maintaining accreditation for crime labs, reducing forensic backlogs, and improving the quality and timeliness of forensic science services.
Cal OES has identified the following priority areas of concentration for funding:
• Implement a program intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiner/coroner’s office services in the state.
• Eliminate backlogs in the analysis of forensic science evidence, including, but not limited to, a backlog with respect to firearms examination, latent prints, impression evidence, toxicology, digital evidence, fire evidence, controlled substances, forensic pathology, questioned documents, and trace evidence.
• Train, assist, and employ forensic laboratory personnel and medicolegal death investigators, as needed, to eliminate backlogs.
• Address emerging forensic science issues (such as statistics, contextual bias, and uncertainty of measurement) and emerging forensic science technology (such as high-performance automation, statistical software, and new types of instrumentation).
• Educate and train forensic pathologists on appropriate protocols.
• Provide funds to facilitate accreditation of medical examiners’ and coroners’ offices and certification of medicolegal death investigators.
The CCPD Forensic Section has been accredited by ANAB to ISO 17020 standards since 2022. The Forensic Section intends to use the grant funds to support the lab’s continued accreditation and to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic services through a variety of means, including upgrading digital cameras, purchasing flatbed scanners for fingerprint card imaging, and replacing aging laboratory equipment. The grant subaward performance period is April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The requested grant funding amount is $51,136 to support the forensic crime lab’s continued accreditation and improve the quality and timeliness of forensic services by purchasing updated laboratory equipment. This is a reimbursement grant that requires three Progress Reports and reimbursement claim reports.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Approve an application for grant funds in the amount of $51,136 through the FY 2025 California OES, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement (CQ) Program; and
2. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and,
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.