City Council
December 19, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Darren Allison
City Administrator Interim Chief of Police
SUBJECT: FY 2023-24 OPD Crime Lab
Coverdell Grant
DATE: November 14, 2023
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-Three Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars ($63,700) From The California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services (CALOES), For The 2022 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program, During The Grant Period Of April 1, 2023-June 20, 2024, 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-three thousand seven hundred dollars ($63,700) from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) for Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program (the Coverdell program). The grant period is from April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. 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 and tools and a variety of Crime Lab supplies and equipment (e.g., crime scene response materials and crime scene storage materials, quality assurance balance and thermometer calibration services, computer and drug analysis instrumentation and standards, ammunition for firearms test fires, DNA testing kits, latent print supplies, software and computers for databases including Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Funds will allow up to twenty (20) staff in multiple forensic science areas to attend fourteen training events.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The Coverdell program awards 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 funds to be used to train and employ forensic laboratory personnel, as needed, to help eliminate forensic analysis case Jestin Johnson (Dec 6, 2023 17:07 PST)
Dec 6, 2023
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2023-24 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell grant
Date: November 14, 2023 Page 2
City Council
December 19, 2023
backlogs, and fund related crime lab miscellaneous expenses. 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. Educate and train forensic pathologists.
OPD has received fifteen (15) Coverdell grants since 2008. This grant for the 2023-24 Fiscal year would represent OPD’s sixteenth grant since program inception.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
This policy action advances the citywide pri ority of responsive, trustworthy government. This grant will better position OPD’s Crime Lab to maintain high quality services and training for staff. B etter Crime Lab services will benefit Oakland residents and visitors through robust investigations that support crime victims and public safety.
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), or 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-ASQ 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 training, which will be completed with 2022 Coverdell Grant funding.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2023-24 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell grant
Date: November 14, 2023 Page 3
City Council
December 19, 2023
Table 1: Crime Lab Proposed Trainings in 2023-24
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 $2,521
1 Drug Unit Analyst
CA Association of
Criminalists meeting
registration local
Semi-annual meeting of
California Forensic
Professionals
$375
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, 3 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance
$750
2 Analysts
International
Association of
Identification
Webinar, 5 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance
$900
Firearms Unit Training
2 Analysts
Association of
Firearms and
Toolmarks
Examiners (AFTE)
Annual conference of firearms
and toolmarks examiners
$4,542
Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Crime Scene, Laboratory Management and Lab-wide Training
1 Drug Unit Analyst
California
Criminalistics
Institute
Crime Scene Processing I $1,044
2 Analysts California
Criminalistics
Crime Scene Processing II $2,088
1 Analyst California
Criminalistics
Forensic Photography
$1,044
Quality Assurance
Program Supervisor
Association of
Forensic Quality
Assurance
Training for quality managers in
issues related to accreditation
and risk management
$2,085
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2023-24 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell grant
Date: November 14, 2023 Page 4
City Council
December 19, 2023
Laboratory Manager
American Academy
of Forensic Sciences
(AAFS)
Annual conference on a wide
range of forensic topics
$2,561
2 Analysts ANAB Assessor
Tuition
Coursework to become an
assessor for ANAB. Assist with
laboratory internal audits and
assessing external labs to aid in
the adoption of best practices.
$2,390
1 Drug Unit Analyst ANAB Auditor
Tuition
Course to become an auditor for
ISO standards. Assist lab
internal audits to aid in the
upkeep of lab accreditation.
$875
1 Analysts ANAB Auditor
Tuition
Course to become an auditor for
ISO standards. Assist lab
internal audits to aid in the
upkeep of lab accreditation.
$875
TOTAL $22,300
The budget for the 2022 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, including 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.
FISCAL IMPACT
CalOES will grant $63,700, funds will be spent on the following:
Use of Funds Amount
Forensic Science Training Events and Related Travel
$22,300
Supplies, Tools, and Equipment for Crime Scene
Response, Quality Assurance and Management, Drug
Analysis Unit, Firearms Unit, Forensic Biology Unit, and Latent Print Unit
$41,400
TOTAL $63,700
Funds will be allocated in the Criminalistics fund (2112), Crime Lab (102610), in the Project to be determined.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2023-24 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell grant
Date: November 14, 2023 Page 5
City Council
December 19, 2023
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.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2023-24 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell grant
Date: November 14, 2023 Page 6
City Council
December 19, 2023
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 Sixty-Three Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars ($63,700) From The California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services (CALOES), For The 2022 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program, During The Grant Period Of April 1, 2023-June 20, 2024, 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:
David Elzey, Acting Deputy
Chief
OPD, Bureau of
Investigations
Sandra Sachs, Crime
Laboratory Manager
OPD Criminalistics
Laboratory
LaRaija Marshall, Fiscal Services
Manager, OPD, Fiscal Services
Division
Tracey Jones, Police Services Manager
OPD, Research, Planning, and Technology
Unit
Prepared by:
Patrick Paton, Crime Laboratory
Quality Supervisor,
OPD
Criminalistics Laboratory