HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11032015 - C.46RECOMMENDATION(S):
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the District Attorney, or designee, to apply for and accept the Sexual Assault Kit
Backlog Elimination Grant in an amount not to exceed $1,841,535 from the District Attorney – County of New York
for DNA analysis of untested sexual assault kits in the possession of local law enforcement agencies for the period of
October 1, 2015 through October 1, 2017.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Revenue of $1,841,535, 100% County of New York. The grant will fund for the mailing and subsequent DNA
analysis by a private forensic laboratory of all untested sexual assault kits that are over a year old. Award monies will
also be used to compensate the Sheriff’s Forensic Services Division for the technical review of the private DNA lab’s
work and subsequent upload the FBI’s CODIS system of all qualifying DNA profiles ($100 per case). No county
funding is required.
BACKGROUND:
Local law enforcement agencies have historically submitted roughly 10% of a sexual assault kits collected from
victims of sexual crimes
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 11/03/2015 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Cherie Mathisen (925)
957-2234
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the
Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: November 3, 2015
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: Chris Heck, Deputy
cc:
C. 46
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Mark Peterson, District Attorney
Date:November 3, 2015
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Approval to Execute a Grant Award Agreement for funding of the SAK Backlog Elimination Grant
BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)
for examination of DNA evidence. Various reasons exist for why a large percentage of the sexual assault kits have
not been tested ranging from investigators determining the DNA evidence even if found would not have probative
value, to agencies whose budgets could not afford the costs associated with modern DNA testing. This issue has
received nation-wide attention from victim advocate groups demanding these untested kits be examined with
arguments that the resultant DNA profiles searched in the DNA databases will identify serial sexual predators and
remove them from the streets to prevent further victimization and create safer communities.
California even adopted a statute (AB 1517 effective 1/1/16) strongly encouraging all sexual assault kits be
submitted to a forensic laboratory and DNA testing completed within certain timeframes. Local law enforcement will
have to abide by the state statute moving forward but the estimated 2400 untested kits stored in their property rooms
was cost prohibitive to get tested. This DANY grant removes the financial burden from local law enforcement of
getting these untested sexual assault kits examined.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The District Attorney will be unable to apply for and accept the grant award.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
No impact.