The Huntington Beach Police Department presented staff analysis on building an in‑house DNA laboratory and expanding the department’s high‑tech computer forensics capability. Council authorized staff to pursue grant funding and return with a funding plan after staff described estimated startup and ongoing costs and public‑safety benefits.

Police staff described current reliance on the Orange County regional crime lab for DNA analysis and long turnaround times — staff said major felony DNA results can take around nine months, and longer for non‑violent property cases — and said those delays can slow investigations and possibly allow serial offenders to remain at large longer. The department said recent cases illustrate the value of rapid DNA results to identify suspects and link them to other crimes.

Staff presented a conceptual plan: retrofit existing space in the city’s crime lab, move the police department’s two‑person digital forensics team into new, larger space, and create a small regional DNA lab staffed by about four full‑time laboratory personnel (a director, two scientists and a technician) plus two additional forensic‑tech staff for the high‑tech team. Staff estimated first‑year startup costs — personnel, construction, equipment and training — at approximately $3.38 million and annual ongoing costs thereafter of roughly $1.5 million. The police chief and lab staff noted potential revenue from contracted work for neighboring agencies but cautioned that a city lab that accepts outside agencies must manage capacity to avoid becoming backlogged, citing a regional example.

Council members pressed staff on grant opportunities and scalability; staff said the city will apply for federal and state grants and return with a fully costed plan once grant results are known. The council voted 7‑0 to direct staff to pursue grants and return with options, and several council members emphasized the public‑safety benefits of faster forensic results.