FY19 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant

In partnership with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the State of Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) is requesting FY19 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement grant funds to: 1) Fund overtime pay to existing GBI staff to facilitate the analysis of evidence and review data; 2) Purchase instrumentation and supplies for analysis of suspected opioid cases; and 3) Fund the accreditation cost for local forensic labs in the state who are seeking to prepare and apply for accreditation by an approved accrediting body. The Crime Lab is suffering from large backlogs and long turnaround times for case completion in all sections (Chemistry, Toxicology, Firearms, Impressions, Trace Evidence and Biology). Thus, the use of these grant funds will be to improve turnaround time and to slow the growth of backlogged cases through overtime and outsourcing. In addition, CJCC will release a funding opportunity notification to assist local forensic labs who are in process of preparing and applying for lab accreditation.

NCA/NCF