FY15 DNA Backlog Reduction Program

The Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory (KCPCL) has experienced tremendous success with prior NIJ DNA backlog reduction grants, and is committed to continuing that success with the FY2015 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program grant. The primary goal of the laboratory for this program is to reduce the backlog of cases awaiting DNA testing. A secondary goal will be an effort to reduce the turnaround time (TAT) of violent and non-violent crimes cases each by 5%.

Funding from this grant primarily focuses on the retention of grant funded personnel previously hired and trained under prior grant awards. The above goals of a reduction in backlog and an effort to reduce TAT will be met through the continued efforts of these staff in the processing of cases with requests for biological evidence screening and subsequent DNA analysis. Staff funded under this grant reflect one full time biological evidence screener, one full time DNA analyst and two full time technicians. These individuals will complete cases that otherwise would not have been completed without this funding thereby reducing the backlog.

Funds will also be directed towards overtime monies to be used to address the aforementioned goals. Specific batches of cases will be processed from biological screening through DNA analysis solely on an overtime basis. These cases will reflect a subset of the backlog that would not otherwise have been completed without this funding thereby reducing the backlog; primarily focusing on non-violent crimes.

nca/ncf.