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Date: |
November 17, 2026 |
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Title
Sheriff - Request to Ratify Grant Application, Accept Funds From The Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant, Adopt a Resolution, and Approve Single Source Procurement From Othram Incorporated (Districts: All)
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Overview
In 2023, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff's Office) began working with Congressman Mike Levin through the Community Project Grant program to secure funding for the Forensic Technology Advancement and Replacement project. Funding this project would allow the Sheriff's Office Regional Crime Laboratory (Crime Laboratory) to purchase state-of-the-art forensic biology and DNA technology equipment for investigative genetic genealogy. The funding for this project is administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant). Through this one-time, non-competitive grant award, the Sheriff’s Office has been allocated $760,000 for the grant period of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2026, extended to September 30, 2027. This program funds equipment, software, and maintenance that address specific grant priorities, including law enforcement tools that support crime-solving efforts using specialized deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology. Through this grant the Crime Laboratory will procure updated equipment, along with the necessary supplies, software and maintenance to sustain and enhance these critical forensic capabilities to support innovative deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis to enhance public safety, give closure to victims and their families, and hold offenders accountable.
In April 8, 2025 (3) the Sheriff's Office received Board approval for a single source procurement for genetic genealogy technology from Verogen, however due to that product becoming discontinued, the Crime Laboratory had to pause its solicitation efforts and explore other options.
Today, the Sheriff's Office has identified Othram Incorporated as the only vendor capable of providing the specialized NGS platform, proprietary workflows, validated forensic applications, and associated analytical capabilities required to meet the operational needs of the Crime Laboratory.
Therefore, today’s requests seek to ratify the grant application for the Fiscal Year 2024 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant, authorizing the Sheriff's Office to accept one-time grant funding in the amount of $760,000 from the Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant program and adopt a resolution authorizing grant acceptance. This is also a request to authorize the Sheriff's Office and/or designee to execute any necessary actions and to sign all required or related grant documents in subsequent years, provided there are no material changes to the grant terms and funding levels. A waiver of Board Policy B-29, Fees, Grants, Revenue Contracts - which requires prior approval of grant applications, is requested as this funding request was not received by the Board of Supervisors at least fifteen days in advance of the date on which the grant application was submitted.
Additionally, today’s requests would authorize the Department of Purchasing and Contracting to conduct the single source procurement of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology for the Crime Laboratory. Authority for single source procurement of these goods and services from specific manufacturers and vendors are requested due to a need for unique capabilities.
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Recommendation by Sheriff:
1) Ratify the submission of an application for the Bureau of Justice (BJA) Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program; Forensic Technology Advancement and Replacement Project, submitted to BJA on May 18, 2024.
2) Authorize the Sheriff's Office to accept $760,000 in grant funds from the BJA FY24 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program for the period of October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2026, extended to September 30, 2027.
3) Authorize the Sheriff and/or designee, to review and execute all required grant documents, including any annual extensions, amendments and/or revisions that do not materially impact or alter the services or funding level.
4) Adopt a resolution entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO RELATING TO THE BYRNE DISCRETIONARY COMMUNITY PROJECT GRANTS/BYRNE DISCRETIONARY GRANTS PROGRAM
5) Waive Board Policy B-29, Fees, Grants, and Revenue Contracts - Department Responsibility for Cost Recovery, which requires prior approval of grant applications.
6) In accordance with Board Policy A-87, Competitive Procurement, approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Purchasing and Contracting to enter into negotiations with Othram Incorporated and, subject to successful negotiations and a determination of a fair and reasonable price, award a contract for the purchase of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology for up to one (1) year and three (3) option years , and an additional six-month extension if needed and to amend the contracts as needed to reflect changes to requirements and funding, subject to the approval of the Sheriff.
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Equity Impact Statement
The proposed actions to accept Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant funding will advance equitable public safety outcomes across all communities in San Diego County by strengthening the Sheriff’s Office Regional Crime Laboratory’s capacity to process forensic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence with modern sequencing technology. The enhanced capability allows for more accurate, sensitive, and efficient analysis of DNA samples, including those that historically have been challenging or insufficient for identification, such as degraded materials or samples from unidentified human remains. The updated forensic technology promotes equitable justice by improving timely case resolution, supporting victim services, and contributing to community safety throughout the County.
Sustainability Impact Statement
Today’s actions further the County’s Sustainability goals of justice and equity by supporting fair access to high-quality forensic services for the nearly 30 law enforcement agencies served by the Sheriff’s Office Regional Crime Laboratory. These actions ensure that investigative benefits are applied consistently and do not vary by community. The ability to produce more complete and reliable deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiles will help solve cases involving victims from communities, including long-standing cold cases. The current MiSeq FGx platform has been discontinued, creating risks related to maintenance, software updates, and replacement parts. This discontinuation threatens the stability of ongoing forensic services, but transitioning to updated next generation sequencing equipment ensures that the laboratory can continue to meet community and partner agency needs without service interruptions. The investment promotes efficient use of resources and improves sensitivity in DNA analysis.
Fiscal Impact
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Operational Plan for the Sheriff’s Office. If approved, this request will result in estimated one-time costs and revenue of $760,000 in Fiscal Year 2026-27 for the purchase of Next Generation Sequencing technology from Othram Incorporated, which includes the instrument, supplies, software and maintenance during the grant period. The funding source is the Bureau of Justice Assistance FY24 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant. Ongoing maintenance costs after the expiration of the grant funds will be funded with General Purpose Revenue in the Sheriff’s Office and will be included in future Operational Plans. The Sheriff’s Office estimates to spend $21,500 annually after the grant period ends, with an estimated 3% annual increase for approximately twenty years. The life expectancy of this instrument is twenty years with proper, annual maintenance. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
Business Impact Statement
N/A
Advisory Board Statement
N/A
Background
In 2023, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office (Sheriff's Office) worked with Congressman Mike Levin, through the Community Project Grant program, to secure funding for the Forensic Technology Advancement and Replacement project. This project would allow the Sheriff's Office Regional Crime Laboratory (Crime Laboratory) to purchase state-of-the-art forensic biology and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology equipment for investigative genetic genealogy.
The funding for this $760,000 project is administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant Program which provides one-time federal funding to support state and local criminal justice initiatives, including projects that enhance the investigation and prosecution of violent crime.
Grant funding will be used to enhance the Crime Laboratory's forensic DNA capabilities through the acquisition of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology and related resources. The project will support advanced DNA analysis methods that can generate investigative leads from complex forensic evidence, assist in identifying unknown remains, strengthen violent crime investigations, and expand the laboratory's ability to analyze challenging DNA samples. The technology will provide the Crime Laboratory with enhanced forensic capabilities that are not currently available through existing equipment.
In April 2025 (3) the Sheriff's Office received Board approval for a single source procurement for genetic genealogy technology from Verogen, however due to that product becoming discontinued, the Crime Laboratory had to pause its solicitation efforts and explore other options. As these technical revisions evolved, additional administrative review and coordination were required to ensure accuracy, compliance, and alignment with organizational standards. This combination of shifting equipment needs and the resulting administrative processing demands extended the timeline for seeking Board approval for the acceptance of grant funds.
Today, the Sheriff's Office has identified Othram Incorporated as the only vendor capable of providing the specialized NGS platform, proprietary workflows, validated forensic applications, and associated analytical capabilities required to meet the operational needs of the Crime Laboratory. Othram Incorporated's technology is uniquely designed and validated for forensic human identification and investigative genetic genealogy applications, making it the only source capable of providing the complete solution required for this project.
Today's request is for the Board of Supervisors to accept $760,000 in Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant funds, authorize the Sheriff or designee to execute all grant-related documents, and approve the single source procurement of the specialized NGS equipment and related services from Othram through a single-source contract.
Single Source Justification
Based on Board Policy A-87(3)(A)(1) for Unique Capability, competition is precluded because the procurement is for goods and/or services where only one product or provider can reasonably or adequately meet the County’s needs, or where the provider has unique knowledge, skill, or ability. Othram Incorporated (Othram Inc.) is the only provider that can adequately meet the Crime Laboratory’s specialized forensic genomics needs. The Crime Laboratory’s established workflows, instruments, and training requirements rely on Othram’s integrated system and expertise. These components are essential to maintaining the Crime Laboratory’s unique operational capability and will be acquired as one integrated package, with no separate procurements from other vendors. The full grant award of $760,000 will be allocated to the single-source vendor, Othram Inc. The Crime Laboratory’s capability to conduct Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy has become a vital resource for developing investigative leads in cold cases and for identifying unknown human remains. Maintaining this in-house capability requires specialized next-generation sequencing instrumentation and a robust data analysis infrastructure. Modern equipment and related services are essential to supporting the Crime Laboratory’s daily operations and evidence processing demands. The Crime Laboratory provides forensic science services to approximately 30 law enforcement agencies throughout the region. The Forensic Biology Section receives an average of 2,000 requests each year for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis from federal, state, and local agencies, including the Sheriff’s Office. Forensic DNA typing has advanced significantly, with new technologies offering greater sensitivity and increasingly high expectations for successful outcomes from the community. Over the past two decades, DNA grant funding has been instrumental in reducing case backlogs and acquiring updated equipment to keep pace with these technological advancements. The Crime Laboratory proposes to utilize funding from the Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant to acquire Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. This investment will expand the Crime Laboratory’s capabilities in forensic DNA typing and enhance service to partner agencies, particularly for challenging casework samples that are not suitable for the current standard method.
Forensic DNA typing continues to advance rapidly. Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis, supported by mixture deconvolution software such as STRmix®, has enabled crime laboratories to obtain more information from mixed DNA profiles, it remains limited because it evaluates only the length of DNA fragments rather than their actual sequence. NGS represents the latest advancement in forensic DNA technology, providing the ability to examine both the length and the sequence of DNA. This methodology offers increased sensitivity compared to STR analysis and enhanced capabilities for resolving complex mixtures, including those involving closely related individuals. The ability to sequence DNA fragments is particularly beneficial when analyzing samples from closely related individuals. Additionally, NGS provides greater sensitivity than STR testing, making it better suited for challenging samples such as bones from unidentified human remains. The Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Homicide Unit has John Doe cases in which remains may be successfully processed using NGS to generate a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) profile. Current literature indicates that NGS can produce usable partial DNA profiles at lower thresholds than STR typing, thereby augmenting existing technology and enabling the development of DNA profiles from difficult samples-including bones, degraded materials, and low-level touch DNA evidence.
Othram Inc. is the sole provider of the NGS instrument, supplies, and services necessary to support a fully integrated workflow that encompasses DNA evidence preparation, sequencing instrumentation, consumables, and proprietary data analysis software designed specifically for human identification from degraded forensic samples. This system is wholly proprietary to Othram Inc. and is not available through any other vendor. The Othram Forensic Genomics Workflow includes instrumentation, software, service agreements, training, validation, and Othram reagents required for the validation process. Othram Inc. will provide full-service validation of the Othram Deployed Solution, as well as assisted validation for the NimaGen Combi STR workflow. Othram Inc. holds exclusive rights to this turnkey deployable system, which constitutes a highly specialized, proprietary, end-to-end infrastructure developed specifically for Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG). NGS will support solving criminal cases bringing justice for the victims and their families.
The Crime Laboratory’s previous technology platform, the Illumina MiSeq FGx instrument, has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Therefore, the future of the forensic platform, the MiSeq FGx, is unknown. As product support continues to phase out, the Crime Laboratory faces significant risks related to instrument maintenance, software updates, and the availability of replacement parts.
Today’s requests are to ratify the application and acceptance, and adopt a resolution for the FY24 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grant. A waiver of Board Policy B-29, Fees, Grants, Revenue Contracts is requested as this funding request was not received by the Board of Supervisors at least fifteen days in advance of the date on which the grant application was submitted. Additionally, this is also a request to authorize the Department of Purchasing and Contracting to conduct the single source procurement of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology for the Crime Laboratory, due to a need for unique capabilities.
Linkage To the County of San Diego Strategic Plan
Today’s proposed actions support the Justice and Community Strategic Initiatives of the County of San Diego 2026-2031 Strategic Plan and aligns with the objective of ensuring a fair and equitable justice system. Maintaining the Sheriff’s Office Regional Crime Laboratory’s ability to generate CODIS-approved deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiles will continue to provide critical information to investigators within the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies throughout the County. This enables the timely identification, apprehension, and prosecution of offenders and promoting the safety of all county residents.
Respectfully submitted,
Kelly A. Martinez
Sheriff
Attachment
Attachment A - A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO RELATING TO THE BYRNE DISCRETIONARY COMMUNITY PROJECT GRANTS/BYRNE DISCRETIONARY GRANTS PROGRAM