The Onondaga County crime lab was recently awarded more than $300,000 to help clear the DNA backlog and expedite the forensic analysis process for pending cases with a grant secured by a Syracuse congressman.

A $239,273 grant was given to the Onondaga County crime lab from the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the DNA Backlog Reduction Program, according to a press release by the office of U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY). An additional grant of $75,000 was also given to the county through the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants.

The Paul Coverdell grant is awarded by the Office of Justice Programs. The extra funds are intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science for the lab’s research. The grant can also be used to train and hire forensic laboratory employees to help expedite forensic evidence analysis, according to the National Institute of Justice’s website.

“Our local law enforcement agencies utilize DNA technology and forensic science to keep our communities safe,” Maffei said in the release. “I’m proud to partner with Onondaga County Executive Mahoney to ensure that we keep our communities safe.”

DNA and forensic evidence backlog can slow down the process of crime management for law enforcement agencies, Maffei said. By eliminating forensic evidence backlogs, he said, the grant should allow forensic science services to improve efficiency when analyzing forensic evidence.

The Wallie Howard Jr. Center for Forensic Sciences, which is overseen by the Onondaga County Health Department, handles the forensic analysis for city and county cases.

“This funding will be used to reduce the DNA backlog and improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science services in Onondaga County,” Maffei said.

The Syracuse Police Department accused the lab of the improperly treating evidence, with at least eight homicide investigations botched as a result of their mishandling during the last seven years, according to an Aug. 27 article from The Post-Standard.

The state inspector general offered a rebuttal to SPD’s claims, saying Syracuse police did not fully understand crime lab procedures, according to the article.

Sgt. Tom Connellan said that the Onondaga County’s evidence lab was a “completely separate entity” outside of the Syracuse police’s jurisdiction, adding that the forensics lab’s financial boost was unrelated to the city police’s investigations.

Published on September 4, 2013 at 2:21 am