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Police commission recommends Board approval for $1.024 million NIJ forensic-DNA grant
Summary
The San Francisco Police Commission voted to recommend the Board of Supervisors accept a $1,024,467 NIJ grant for a Forensic Management System intended to streamline DNA and other forensic workflows; the grant carries matching funds and will launch a 3-to-5-year project.
The San Francisco Police Commission on Tuesday recommended that the Board of Supervisors accept a $1,024,467 grant from the National Institute of Justice to develop a Forensic Management System (FMS) intended to improve the efficiency of DNA and other forensic services.
Chief Fong said the city was one of seven departments awarded funding and that San Francisco received the largest award among recipients. "The amount of the grant that was awarded, with your approval is $1,024,467," the chief said. The commission moved to transmit a resolution asking the Board of Supervisors to accept and expand the funds; the motion passed without objection.
The project manager, Matt Gabriel, described the FMS as a multi-year effort. "I envision the FMS project as a 3 to 5 year project," Gabriel said, adding the grant will primarily fund the first 18 months of implementation and that the system is intended to integrate DNA, fingerprints, crime-scene investigation workflows and other lab units so prosecutors and investigators can track outstanding forensic requests in real time.
Commissioners asked how the city match and personnel needs would be met. Staff said a match has been identified through the Committee on Information Technology (COIT) and that some positions will be grant-funded; others may require ongoing local funding or reallocation of existing staff when grant monies end. The chief said some requested positions are grant-funded and would not necessarily continue after the grant expires.
The commission also discussed minor revisions to the resolution that reduced the number of requested hiring authorities; staff clarified that most technical work in the initial phase will be funded by the grant.
The commission—s vote to recommend Board approval was procedural and recorded as adopted "without objection." The Board of Supervisors must still approve acceptance of the grant and any accompanying budget and staffing actions.
