Public Safety Committee
October13, 2026
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake
Interim City Administrator
FROM: James P. Beere
Chief of Police
SUBJECT: OPD Paul Coverdell 2026 Grant DATE: August 27, 2026 City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Accepting And Appropriating Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed Fifty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Ten Dollars ($57,510) From The U.S. Department Of Justice, Office Of Justice Programs , Bureau Of Justice Assistance For Implementation Of The Paul Coverdell CQ26 Grant Program For The Oakland Police Department.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Adoption of this resolution will allow OPD to accept $57,510 in Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program grant funds from the U.S.
Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administered through the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The one-year grant period runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. These funds will enable the OPD Crime Laboratory to reduce forensic case turnaround times and address backlog by supporting critical operational needs. Grant funding will be used to purchase laboratory supplies and to cover training related travel expenses. Up to 19 forensic scientists will be able to attend eight specialized training events.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The Paul Coverdell Program is a formula grant created by the DOJ/OJP/BJA to assist crime laboratories to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science services. The program allows funds to be used to train forensic lab personnel to help alleviate forensic case backlogs and increase turnaround time for case analysis. The funding amount awarded is formula-based.
OPD has received Coverdell grant funding since 2008.
The aggregate amount of Fiscal Year 2026 funds expected to be awarded to eligible applicants from each State was based on a determination by the BJA and then distributed among the eligible applicants within the State, of which five thousand five hundred ten dollars ($57,510) was allocated to OPD.
Elizabeth Lake (Sep 30, 2026 17:32:07 PDT)
Sep 30, 2026
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: OPD Paul Coverdell 2026 Grant
Date: August 27, 2026 Page 2
Public Safety Committee
October 13, 2026
The goal of the program is to improve laboratory quality and timeliness of forensic science services in the State, including those services provided by laboratories operated by the State and those operated by units of local government withing the State. The program also provides continuing education courses and training associated with lab operations in firearms, latent prints, controlled substances, and DNA analyses as well as funds to analyze backlogged casework samples. Improvements are necessary and critical to reduce current backlogs, prevent future increases, and to help the criminal justice system reach its full potential in the utilization of forensic technology.
Backlogged case requests from homicides, sexual assaults, robberies, assaults, and property crime cases can be enrolled into the Coverdell Program. This will assist not only Oakland Police Department investigators, but also the Alameda County District Attorney, and other law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial agencies in the surrounding area.
Paul Coverdell Program History
The City Council previously authorized acceptance of Coverdell grant funds every year since 2008. The last five Council-adopted resolutions are listed below:
• Resolution No. 90845 C.M.S., dated September 15, 2025 • Resolution No. 90367 C.M.S., dated July 16, 2024
• Resolution No. 90036 C.M.S., dated December 19, 2023
• Resolution No. 89460 C.M.S., dated November 1, 2022; and • Resolution No. 88691 C.M.S., dated June 15, 2021.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Violent crimes which occur in Oakland and surrounding areas cause trauma as well as negative economic impacts for victims and their families. The ability to solve crimes and close cases allows the victims to have closure and, in some cases, financial compensation. The funding from this grant provides the Crime Lab with expanded means to examine and analyze cases, which in turn will increase holistic community safety by providing investigative leads to apprehend violent individuals. The grant funding will further enable the Department to respond to these violent crimes and increase community trust in the Department.
The Crime Lab does not have an independent budget for staff training. The Crime Lab needs additional funds for staff to maintain certifications, meet FBI Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) compliance, or meet continuing education requirements for their specialty discipline. Lab scientists are either certified by the American Board of Criminalistics (ABC), the Association of Firearms and Toolmark 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. Additionally, ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accreditation requires demonstrated continuing education for all scientific staff. Lastly, OPD expects this training to improve skills, knowledge, and overall capabilities.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: OPD Paul Coverdell 2026 Grant
Date: August 27, 2026 Page 3
Public Safety Committee
October 13, 2026
RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS
This agenda item is a routine item and does not relate to any Oakland strategic planning efforts.
FISCAL IMPACT
The $57,510 in grant funds from the DOJ/OJP/BJA via Cal OES for the implementation of the Paul Coverdell Grant Program CQ26 shall be appropriated in the Federal Grant Fund (2112), Criminalistics Division Organization (102610), Criminalistics Division Program (PS05), in Project Number (TBD). The grant starts on July 1, 2026, for a 12-month duration, and ends on June 30, 2027.
Table 1 lists the project funding source.
Table 1: Project Funding Source
Fund
Source
Organization Account Project Program Amount
2112 102610 TBD TBD PS05 $57,510
Table 2 details how OPD will utilize the Cal OES Paul Coverdell Grant Program funds by listing the funding for technical supplies and training travel.
Table 2: Project Budget Categories
Budget Category Amount
Training Travel
2026 ISHI Annual Symposium: Providence, RI $2,831
2026 CACLD Annual Meeting: Martinez, CA $285
2026 IAI Annual Conference: St. Louis, MO $3,332
2026 AFQAM Annual Conference: virtual $375
2026 CLIC Annual Conference: Atlanta, GA $5,334
2027 AAFS Annual Conference: Orlando, FL $3,143
2027 CAC Annual Meeting: Santa Clara, CA $4,780
2027 AFTE Annual Conference: Frisco, TX $5,660
Total Training Travel $25,740
Other Operating Costs $31,770
Total Project: $57,510
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: OPD Paul Coverdell 2026 Grant
Date: August 27, 2026 Page 4
Public Safety Committee
October 13, 2026
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No outreach was deemed necessary for the proposed policy action beyond the standard City Council agenda noticing procedures, because no new Departmental policy will be required to accept the grant funds.
COORDINATION
The Budget Bureau and the Office of the City Attorney were consulted by OPD on the production of this report as well as the accompanying resolution.
RACE AND EQUITY
Provisions for continuing education and supplies funded by this grant will enhance OPD’s ability to analyze biological evidence in criminal cases in a timelier fashion. The public safety for all Oakland residents and visitors is enhanced through greater OPD investigative capacity, with science-based methods which mitigate potential bias.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: OPD Paul Coverdell 2026 Grant
Date: August 27, 2026 Page 5
Public Safety Committee
October 13, 2026
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Accepting And Appropriating Grant Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed Fifty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Ten Dollars ($57,510) From The U.S. Department Of Justice, Office Of Justice Programs, Bureau Of Justice Assistance For Implementation Of The Paul Coverdell CQ26 Grant Program For The Oakland Police Department.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Bonnie Cheng, Laboratory Manager, at (510) 238-3386 x4904.
Reviewed by:
Dr. Tracey Jones, Legislative Services Manager
Oakland Police Department
BRM, Research and Planning
Prepared by:
Bonnie Cheng, Laboratory Manager
Oakland Police Department
Criminalistics Division Forensic Biology Unit