Huge Backlog of Criminal Cases in New Hampshire Laboratory to Get Federal Help

The New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory, the sole provider of DNA and serology analyses for criminal investigations in the state, is facing a backlog in DNA testing that is taking more than 10 months to clear. This has prompted the state Department of Safety (DOS) to seek assistance from federal agencies in the form of DNA Backlog Reduction grants. The DOS has received more than $1.4 million in grants since 2021 to help address the problem.

What Is the Cause of the Backlog?

The DOS says that the backlog is because of a combination of limited space that cannot be expanded, aging equipment, and budget constraints. The department hopes to use the federal funding to enhance capacity, purchase additional equipment, and pay for overtime and continuing education.

What Will the Federal Grants be Used For?

The federal funding will be used to make significant improvements in clearing the backlog of items that require DNA testing for criminal investigations. The money will also be used to reduce the current DNA database backlog. The laboratory’s Forensic Biology Unit is responsible for performing all DNA and serology analyses associated with criminal investigations in the state, and is also tasked with analyzing and entering offender and casework samples into the Combined DNA Index System database.

How Will the Funding Help?

The laboratory receives and analyzes evidence from more than 220 city and town police departments, state law enforcement agencies, and on occasion, federal law enforcement agencies. By enhancing its capacity with new equipment, paying for overtime, and providing continuing education, the laboratory can increase its throughput and reduce the current backlog of DNA and serology analyses, which will result in faster turnaround time of samples for database entry.

Closing Thoughts

The New Hampshire State Police Forensic Laboratory is facing a huge backlog of cases requiring DNA analysis, which is taking more than 10 months to clear. Through the federal DNA Backlog Reduction grants awarded to the state Department of Safety, the laboratory hopes to increase throughput by enhancing its capacity, purchasing additional equipment, paying for overtime and continuing education, as well as reducing the current DNA database backlog. With the grant money, the laboratory should be able to significantly improve its turnaround time of samples for database entry, which is good news for the victims of crimes and their families.

By Hadley Barndollar. Contact her at [email protected]

Originally Post From https://newhampshirebulletin.com/briefs/federal-dollars-helping-dna-backlog-at-states-forensic-laboratory/