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Board funds countywide cold-case task force, directs $500,000 appropriation
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved creation of a countywide cold-case task force and a $500,000 appropriation to the District Attorney's Family Justice Center budget, with county staff recommending additional Prop 69 funding for 2025'—26.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on April 8 approved creation of a countywide cold-case task force and a $500,000 appropriation to the District Attorney's Family Justice Center budget to accelerate DNA testing and investigations.
District Attorney Ron Freitas and sheriff's representatives told the board the effort will centralize unresolved homicide investigations across city and county jurisdictions and speed testing by allowing use of private labs when necessary.
The proposal directs $500,000 from county resources for the 2024'—25 fiscal year and the county administrator recommended adding $500,000 from the Proposition 69 DNA Identification Fund to the District Attorney/Family Justice Center budget for 2025'—26. The board approved the action as part of the consent calendar by a 5'—0 vote.
Freitas said his office reorganized its homicide unit, lowered caseloads for prosecutors and added personnel to focus on homicides and cold cases. "We ended up taking lead on this, signing all of our law enforcement partners, from all of our chiefs of all of our local agencies to work on this," Freitas said during the meeting.
Sheriff's Office representatives described operational work already underway, including cataloging and digitally tracking cold-case evidence and building a master case list to identify priorities for testing and investigation. They and county staff said private lab testing can be faster than Department of Justice processing when backlog delays impede investigations.
Community members and advocates urged the board to support the effort. Dean Bridal, speaking during public comment, recounted a county grand jury follow-up that found roughly 600 cold cases countywide and noted about a third had DNA that had not previously been processed; he said targeted testing could lead to dozens of additional resolutions for victims' families.
Board members described the funding as a way to provide investigative resources without reallocating general-fund dollars; county staff confirmed the recommend funding would come from the Prop 69 fund for the 2025'—26 request. The motion to approve the consent item passed 5'—0.
The task force will include the District Attorney's Office, Sheriff's Office and local police agencies and will be administered through the Family Justice Center for coordination with victims' services.
Board members and law enforcement officials said the effort emphasizes victims' need for closure and the practical benefit of newer forensic techniques. The board did not set a specific long-term staffing level in the motion but directed staff to return with implementation details and MOUs with participating agencies.
