To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler Brown, Sheriff
Prepared By:
prepared
Kimberly Morrow, Laboratory Director, Unified Forensic Laboratory
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presenter
Presenter:
Kimberly Morrow, Laboratory Director, Unified Forensic Laboratory
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Subject:
title
Grant Opportunity: BJA FY 2026 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Formula Grants Program
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
We are seeking approval from the BOCC to apply for the 2026 Coverdell Formula Grants Program. If awarded, the grant will support the Unified Forensic Laboratory (UFL) through the purchase of new instrumentation to increase the available technology in the Latent Print Unit, as well as provide training and overtime funding for staff at the UFL. Grant award amounts vary from partial to full funding based on application evaluation and available funds.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Safe and Healthy Communities - Advance public safety by strengthening partnerships across law enforcement, emergency response, and community stakeholders.
Background and Discussion: Forensic science continues to advance at a dramatic rate and continues to be a crucial part of the judicial system. The UFL is seeking funds to provide overtime and training for our analysts, as well as purchase an advanced laser for the detection and retention of latent prints. This instrumentation will not only help replace current light source instrumentation that is at end-of-life, but also provide additional imaging capabilities. The purchase of the Arrowhead Forensics Dual 77 Investigation Laser will increase the UFL’s capability of non-destructive latent print processing, reducing the needs for some chemical staining and rinse protocols. This technology will increase not only the efficiency of laboratory processing but also decrease the handling of items going for additional downstream testing, such as seized drugs or DNA.
Overtime funding will be used to aid timely release of laboratory reports. Currently, none of the home agencies of the UFL (Aurora PD, Arapahoe County SO, Douglas County SO) allow for overtime expenditures for laboratory staff.
The remainder of the received funding will go towards training costs. This funding for training will allow our analysts to attend discipline focused trainings and conferences, which helps the UFL as a whole to keep up with new advances in technology and emerging issues. This is crucial to keeping the UFL and our analysts at the top of the field.
Alternatives: Without the grant approval, the UFL will continue to perform labwork with the currently validated methods, but current budgets will have to be used for replacing outdated instrumentation. Agencies will have to absorb training costs. No overtime funding will be available, limiting the ability for rush cases and backlog reduction when needed.
Fiscal Impact: There is no cost. All funds would be paid for out of the approved grant. The total grant request is anticipated to be about $50,000 but may be adjusted as additional information is finalized.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: N/A
Staff Recommendation: N/A
Concurrence: N/A