Solving Cold Cases with DNA

The purpose of these funds will be used for the County of San Bernardino, specifically the Sheriff's Department, to establish a cold case unit. The Department will develop and enhance their ability to process homicide and sexual assault cold cases by coordinating the efforts with our Crime Laboratory as well as the County District Attorney's Office and the County's Victim Witness Advocates, thereby providing a multifaceted approach to solving these cold cases and ultimately bringing closure to the families of the victims and bringing to justice those persons who were responsible for the crimes; and in the process, utilizing the latest technologies in the area of DNA analysis.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department currently has 505 unsolved homicides on file and averages 75 homicides per year within its jurisdiction, thus burdening even further our investigators, as well as adding to the backlog of cases at our Crime Lab.
ca/ncf