Fiscal Year 2015 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program - Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection

Problem to be addressed and target area and population - Connecticut has faced budgetary challenges over the last several years that resulted in restrictions placed on the submission of property crime cases to the FB/DNA section. These restrictions were lifted in late January 2015. We expected the number of cases with FB/DNA requests will double in the next years. Coupled with the lifting of the restrictions are continued budgetary limitations and even cuts. Faced with these challenges, DESPP requests Federal grant funds to support DSS.

Project goals and objectives and expected outcomes and major deliverables:
• To reduce the backlog of DNA cases by about 177 and, as appropriate, enter profiles into state and national DNA databases
• To increase the testing capacity of the FB/DNA Section,
• To reduce the backlog of database samples by 2,700 and enter database profiles into state and national DNA databases to generate and load into COOlS Yfiler profiles from 450 database samples
•To increase the professional development of staff

Project strategy or overall program - Funds will support overtime, fringe benefits, equipment, supplies, contractual services, and other costs.

Overtime will reduce the backlog by 177 cases.

We will complete about 10% more cases with grant-funded overtime, other costs, and equipment than would be without Federal support. The cases processed, recorded, screened, and analyzed under this grant program will decrease the average turnaround time by 5 days. The current turnaround time for database sample processing is 30 days with Federal support. Without this grant support (current solicitation), the database sample turnaround time would be about 60 days with grant-funded supplies.

We will purchase supplies to reduce the backlog by 2,700 database samples. The purchased ldentifiler Plus Kits, Formamide, 3130XL!3100 Genetic Analyzer 16-Capillary Array, and Yfiler Kits will be used amplify database samples to reduce the backlog. With grant-funded supplies and overtime to process backlogged DNA cases/database samples, we will reduce the backlog by an estimated 177 cases and complete 2,700 database samples we will import into COOlS and upload to NDIS.

Travel and registration will support staff professional development efforts.

Significant partnerships -There will be no formal partnerships in delivery of services under the project.

nca/ncf.