HPD Forensic Laboratory Instrumentation

The Henderson Police Department Forensic Laboratory plans to utilize the FY2015 Coverdell Science Improvement Grant funds to decrease the backlog of controlled substance analysis requests and to improve the timeliness of services by decreasing the amount of time to complete the analysis and deliver results to our customers. The Controlled Substances (CS) section of the Henderson Police Department Forensic Laboratory has a backlog of analysis requests that increased by 280 percent in 2013 and an additional 224 percent in 2014. The CS section of the laboratory only has one Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS). As a result the one forensic chemist is limited to the types and numbers of samples that can be added to each run with the GC/MS. The addition of another GC/MS with robotic auto sampler to the Controlled Substance section of the Henderson Police Department Forensic Laboratory would provide concurrent analysis capability. It is anticipated that the additional GC/MS will increase our capabilities, decrease backlog, and reduce the turnaround time for sample analysis. The objectives for this project are to: 1. Improve the timeliness of services - Decrease the number of days between submission of an analysis request with samples and the delivery of test results to the requesting customer. 2. Decrease/Eliminate the backlog of controlled substance analysis requests. 3. Maintain the accuracy, reliability, and credibility of results obtained through forensic analysis of samples submitted for analysis.

ca/ncf.