City Council
November 1, 2022
AGENDA REPORT
City Administrator Approval Date:
__________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed Sixty-Four Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty-Six Dollars ($64,736) From The California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services (CALOES), For The 2021 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program, During The Grant Period Of April 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, To Support The Oakland Police Department (OPD) Crime Laboratory Operations.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) was awarded a one-year grant of sixty-four thousand seven hundred thirty-six dollars ($64,736) from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) for Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program (the Coverdell program). The grant period is April 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. Funding will be invested in a range of comprehensive conferences, training, and training-related travel expenses for OPD Criminalistics Laboratory (Crime Lab) staff. Many of the trainings are not only required for staff, but critical for OPD’s Crime Lab to maintain its accreditation.
Additionally, grant funds will be used to purchase crime scene supplies, tools and a variety of Crime Lab supplies and equipment (e.g., crime scene response materials, crime scene storage materials, quality assurance balance and thermometer calibration services, computer and drug analysis instrumentation and standards, ammunition for firearms test fires, DNA1 testing kits, latent print supplies, software and computers for databases including CODIS2). Funds will allow up to twenty-two (22) staff in multiple forensic science areas to attend fifteen training events.
1 DNA = Deoxyribonucleic Acid; the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA.
2 CODIS is the acronym for the Combined DNA Index System and is the generic term used to describe the FBI’s program of support for criminal justice DNA databases as well as the software used to run these databases https://www.fbi. gov/services/laboratory/biometric-analysis/codis/codis-and-ndis-fact-sheet
TO:
Edward D. Reiskin
FROM:
LeRonne L. Armstrong
City Administrator Chief of Police
SUBJECT: FY 2022-23 OPD Crime Lab
Coverdell Grant
DATE: October 11, 2022
Oct 19, 2022
City Council
November 1, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2022-23 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: October 11, 2022 Page 2
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The Coverdell program award grants to states and units of local government to help improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner and coroner services. The funding amount of this award is formula-based. The grant rules allow for funds to be used to train and employ forensic laboratory personnel, as needed, to help eliminate forensic analysis case backlogs, and fund related crime lab miscellaneous expenses.3 In particular, a state or unit of local government that receives a Coverdell Grant must use the grant for the following purposes:
1. Carry out all or a substantial part of a program intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiner and coroner services in the State, including those services provided by laboratories operated by the State and those operated by units of local government within the State;
2. Eliminate a backlog in the analysis of forensic science evidence, including, among other things, a backlog with respect to firearms examination, latent prints, toxicology, controlled substances, forensic pathology, questioned documents, and trace evidence;
3. Train, assist, and employ forensic laboratory personnel as needed to eliminate such a backlog;
4. Address emerging forensic science issues (such as statistics, contextual bias, and uncertainty of measurement) and emerging forensic science technology (such as high throughput automation, statistical software, and new types of instrumentation); and
5. E ducate and train forensic pathologists.
OPD has received fifteen (15) Coverdell grants since 2008. This grant for the 2022-23 Fiscal Year would represent OPD’s sixteenth grant since program inception.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The OPD Criminalistics Laboratory (Crime Lab) does not have an independent budget for staff training. The Crime Lab needs additional funds to provide training to maintain staff with critical forensic certifications. OPD’s Crime Lab has a goal of achieving 100 percent certification for Crime Lab scientific staff (the current level is approximately 80 percent of eligible staff). Crime Lab staff are either certified by the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC), the Association of Firearms and Toolmarks Examiners (AFTE), the International Association for Identification (IAI), or are seeking relevant external certifications in their specialty area.
Certification maintenance requires each certificate holder to demonstrate on-going professional development through training. OPD’s laboratory ANSI-ASQ4 National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accreditation requires demonstrated continuing education for all scientific staff. In addition to these requirements, OPD expects this training to improve skills, knowledge, and overall capability. This training is critical for maintaining the quality standards of Crime Lab forensic work. Table 1 below details the expected Crime Lab staff trainings which will be completed with 2021 Coverdell Grant funding.
3 https://bja.ojp.gov/program/coverdell/about-program 4 https://anab.ansi.org/en/forensic-accreditation City Council
November 1, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2022-23 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: October 11, 2022 Page 3
Table 1: Crime Lab Proposed Trainings in 2022-23
Individual Title of Course Purpose Cost
Drug Analysis Unit Related Training
1 Drug Unit Analyst American Academy of
Forensic Sciences
(AAFS)
Annual conference on a wide range
of forensic topics
$2538
Management Training
3 Analysts CA Association of
Criminalists meeting
registration local
Semi-annual meeting of California
Forensic Professionals
$900
2 Supervisors American Society of
Crime Laboratory
Directors
Annual Symposium focused on
enhancing leadership and
management in a forensic
laboratory
$4,391
Latent Print Training
2 Analysts International
Association of
Identification
Webinar, 1 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance
$250
2 Analysts International
Association of
Identification
Webinar, 1 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance
$250
2 Analysts International
Association of
Identification
Webinar, 1 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance
$250
Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Crime Scene, Laboratory Management and Lab-wide Training
1 Analyst California Criminalistics
Institute
Crime Scene Processing I $1,064
2 Analysts California Criminalistics
Institute
Crime Scene Processing II $2,128
1 Analyst California Criminalistics
Institute
Forensic Photography $1,064
Quality Assurance
Program Supervisor
Association of Forensic
Quality Assurance
Managers (AFQAM)
Training for quality managers in
issues related to accreditation and
risk management
$1,795
Laboratory
Manager
American Academy of
Forensic Sciences
(AAFS)
Annual conference on a wide
range of forensic topics
$2,538
City Council
November 1, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2022-23 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: October 11, 2022 Page 4
Individual Title of Course Purpose Cost
2 Analysts ANAB Assessor Tuition Coursework to become an assessor for ANAB. Assist with laboratory
internal audits and assessing
external labs to aid in adoption of
best practices.
$2,390
3 Analysts ANAB Auditor Tuition Course to become an auditor for ISO standards. Assist lab internal
audits to aid in upkeep of lab
accreditation.
$1,750
TOTAL $22,458
The budget for the 2021 Coverdell Grant affords the laboratory the opportunity to fund critical projects besides training. There are numerous important projects that cannot be tackled for lack of equipment or funds. This grant allows these important projects to move forward and include augmenting crime scene response capability, purchasing drug analysis standards and equipment, procuring ammunition for firearms test fires and software upgrades, funding calibration services, DNA testing kits, and computer hardware.
Adoption of this resolution advances Oakland’s citywide priority of responsive trustworthy government. The activities completed under this grant will better position OPD’s Crime Lab to maintain high quality services and training for staff; better Crime Lab services will benefit Oakland residents and visitors through robust investigations that support crime victims and public safety.
FISCAL IMPACT
CalOES will grant $64,736, funds will be spent on the following:
Use of Funds Amount
Forensic Science Training Events and Related Travel $22,458 Supplies, Tools and Equipment for Crime Scene Response, Quality Assurance and Management, Drug Analysis Unit,
Firearms Unit, Forensic Biology Unit and Latent Print Unit
$42,278
TOTAL $64,736
Funds will be allocated in the Criminalistics fund (2112), Crime Lab (102610), in the Project to be determined.
City Council
November 1, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2022-23 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: October 11, 2022 Page 5
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No public outreach was required in the development of this report and resolution beyond standard City Council meeting noticing requirements.
COORDINATION
This report and legislation have been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney and the Budget Bureau.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: There are no economic opportunities identified in this report.
Environmental: There are no environmental opportunities identified in this report.
Race and Social Equity: The activities completed under this grant will better position OPD’s Crime Lab to maintain high quality services and training for staff; better Crime Lab services will benefit Oakland residents and visitors through robust investigations that support crime victims and public safety.
City Council
November 1, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2022-23 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: October 11, 2022 Page 6
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed of Sixty-Four Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty-Six dollars ($64,736) From The California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services (CALOES), For The 2021 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program, During The Grant Period Of April 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, To Support The Oakland Police Department (OPD) Crime Laboratory Operations.
For questions concerning this report, please contact Sandra Sachs, OPD Criminalistics Laboratory Manager, at 510-238-2108.
Reviewed by:
Drennon Lindsey,Deputy Chief
OPD, Bureau of Investigations
LaRaija Marshall, Fiscal Services
Manager, OPD, Fiscal Services Division
Tracey Jones, Police Services Manager
OPD, Research, Planning, and Technology Unit
Prepared by:
Sandra Sachs, Laboratory Manager
OPD, Criminalistics Laboratory