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County accepts DOJ DNA backlog grant and funds additional recruit assistance for sheriff's academy
Summary
Oakland County accepted a $420,000 DOJ DNA capacity enhancement and backlog reduction grant to fund three full-time forensic lab analyst positions through Sept. 30, 2027, and approved an additional $100,000 allocation to MCOLES academy assistance for January 2026 recruits.
Oakland County’s Public Health & Safety committee recommendations included two personnel‑focused grants.
Staff presented a DOJ FY2025 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction grant (CBER) totaling $420,000 that will fund three eligible full‑time forensic lab analyst positions through Sept. 30, 2027. Presenters said the lab currently has about 140 pending cases with an average turnaround of approximately 74 days; grant funds have not kept pace with salary increases and the program has been scaled back to preserve core analyst positions.
The board also approved an additional $100,000 allocation under the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) Public Safety Academy assistance program to support recruits in the January 2026 academy. Presenters said the $20,000 per recruit stipend has helped expand the pool for training and that the sheriff’s office has ramped hiring and background processing to improve staffing and reduce forced overtime.
Both items passed unanimously.
What’s next: Forensics and sheriff’s office staff will continue to monitor backlog and recruit pipelines and report on grant spending and recruit outcomes.
