City Council
September 15, 2025
City Administrator Approval
RECOMMENDATION
AGENDA REPORT
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Council Accepting And Appropriating Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed Sixty Thousand Six Hundred And Three Dollars ($60,603) From The California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services (CalOES), For The 2024 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program, During The Grant Period Of April 1, 2025, Through March 31, 2026, 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 thousand six hundred and three Dollars ($60,603) from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) for the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program (the Coverdell program). The grant period is April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. 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, particularly in light of the City’s training moratorium. Additionally, grant funds will be used to purchase a variety of Crime Lab supplies and equipment (e.g. 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. Funds will allow up to eighteen (18) staff in multiple forensic science areas to attend fourteen 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.
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Floyd Mitchell
City Administrator Chief of Police
SUBJECT:
FY 2025-26 OPD Crime Lab
Coverdell Grant DATE: August 4, 2025
Jestin Johnson (Sep 11, 2025 14:21:22 PDT)
09/11/2025
City Council
September 15, 2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2024-25 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: August 4, 2025 Page 2
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 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. Educate and train forensic pathologists.
OPD has received Coverdell grants since 2008. This grant for the 2025-26 Fiscal year would represent OPD’s nineteenth 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 ANSI4 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 the Crime Lab forensic work. Table 1 below details the expected Crime Lab staff trainings which will be completed with 2024 Coverdell Grant funding.
3 https://bja.ojp.gov/program/coverdell/about-program 4 https://anab.ansi.org/accreditation/iso-iec-17025-forensic-testing-laboratory/
City Council
September 15, 2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2024-25 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: August 4, 2025 Page 3
Table 1: Crime Lab Proposed Trainings in 2025-26
Individual Title of Course Purpose Cost
Drug Analysis Unit Related Training
1 Drug Unit Analyst CA Association of Criminalists
meeting registration local, SoCal
Semi-annual meeting of California
Forensic Professionals $2,101
Latent Print Training
2 Analysts International Association of
Identification
Webinar, 1 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance $400
2 Analysts International Association of
Identification
Webinar, 3 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance $900
2 Analysts International Association of
Identification
Webinar, 5 day seminar, rolling
dates with latent print relevance $1,100
2 Analysts International Association of
Identification
Annual conference on a wide
range of latent print topics $6,960
Firearms Unit Training
1 Supervisor, 1
Analyst
Association of Firearms and
Toolmarks Examiners (AFTE)
Annual conference of firearms
and toolmarks examiners $5,166
Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Crime Scene, Laboratory Management, and Lab-wide Training 1 Drug Unit Analyst California Criminalistics
Institute Crime Scene Processing I $1,149
2 Analysts California Criminalistics
Institute Crime Scene Processing II $2,298
2 Analysts California Criminalistics
Institute Crime Scene Processing III $2,298
1 Analyst California Criminalistics
Institute Forensic Photography $1,149
Quality Assurance
Supervisor
Association of Forensic
Quality Assurance Managers
(AFQAM)
Training for quality managers in
issues related to accreditation and
risk management
$2,185
Crime Lab Manager American Society of Crime
Lab Directors (ASCLD)
Training for crime laboratory
managers on current leadership
topics
$3,050
1 Analyst American Academy of
Forensic Sciences (AAFS)
Annual conference on a wide
range of forensic topics $2,700
1 Analyst CA Association of Criminalists
meeting registration SoCal
Semi-annual meeting of California
Forensic Professionals $2,101
TOTAL $33,557
The budget for the 2024 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
City Council
September 15, 2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2024-25 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: August 4, 2025 Page 4
purchasing drug analysis standards and equipment, procuring ammunition for firearms test fires and software upgrades, funding calibration services, DNA testing kits, latent print supplies , and computer hardware. In addition, a moratorium on training spending was placed on general funds by the City Administrator, which raises the importance of having training opportunities funded through grants.
This policy action supports the Citywide priority of holistic community safety. This grant provides funding for critical staff certifications and training. Keeping staff’s skills current allows OPD’s Crime Lab to maintain high quality services. Well informed Crime Lab services will benefit Oakland residents and visitors through thorough investigations that support crime victims and public safety.
FISCAL IMPACT
CalOES will grant $60,603, funds will be spent on the following:
Use of Funds Amount
Forensic Science Training Events and Related Travel
$33,557
Supplies, Tools, and Equipment for Crime Scene Response, Quality Assurance and Management, Drug Analysis Unit,
Firearms Unit, Forensic Biology Unit, and Latent Print Unit $27,046
TOTAL $60,603
Funds will be allocated in the Criminalistics fund (2112), Crime Lab (102610), Project and Award to be determined.
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.
City Council
September 15, 2025
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: FY 2024-25 OPD Crime Lab Coverdell Grant
Date: August 4, 2025 Page 5
Race and 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.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Council Accepting And Appropriating Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed Sixty Thousand Six Hundred And Three Dollars ($60,603) From The California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services (CalOES), For The 2024 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program, During The Grant Period Of April 1, 2025, Through March 31, 2026, 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:
LaRaija Marshall, Fiscal Services
Manager, Fiscal Services Division
Tracey Jones, Police Services Manager
OPD, Research and Planning
Prepared by:
Sandra Sachs, Crime Laboratory Manager OPD
Criminalistics Laboratory