Date:
November 17, 2026 02
To: Board of Supervisors
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)
End
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 onetime, noncompetitive 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 crimesolving 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 opt...
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