The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff on Thursday said it will be better able to solve crimes after receiving a $376,101 grant to hire a forensic analyst and to purchase new instrumentation and equipment.
The Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Division received the grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program. It will increase the division’s capacity to process more DNA samples and prevent a backlog of samples awaiting analysis, such as those collected at crime scenes, the sheriff’s office said.
The Forensic Services Division aims to hire a new forensic analyst by the end of the year.
“This grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance will increase our capacity and help us better serve law enforcement agencies and crime victims,” said Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston. “This will increase our efficiency of testing and enable us to provide quicker results to law enforcement and prosecutors on DNA cases in Contra Costa County.”
