Agenda

Return

C. 27

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Date:	February 9, 2021

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

State of California Office of Traffic Safety Grant

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 02/09/2021

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Chrystine Robbins 925-655-0008

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: February 9, 2021
,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Resolution No. 2021/57 authorizing the Sheriff-Coroner, or designee, to apply for and accept a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety in an initial amount of $120,000 for the Sheriff's Forensic Services Unit to purchase forensic products and supplies needed to develop and validate new toxicology confirmation methods beginning October 1, 2021 to the end of the grant period.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Initial revenue of $120,000, 100% State funds.

BACKGROUND:

The Contra Costa County, Office of the Sheriff, Forensic Services Division (FSD) operates an ISO 17025 ANAB Accredited Crime Laboratory able to provide County-wide Forensic Toxicological testing services.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The FSD’s Toxicology Unit is responsible for the analysis of blood and urine evidence for driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases. The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) grant funds are needed to ensure efficient processing and analysis of DUID-related offenses. The OTS Grant funds will be used to purchase consumables for currently validated LC-MS/MS methods and consumables needed to develop and validate new confirmation methods. The funding of consumables will support the FSD in providing comprehensive information on driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) cases eliminating the need to send evidence for outside testing. Expansion of testing capabilities will allow the FSD to meet current and future DUID guidelines for the drug assays as required by NHTSA and the National Safety Council. Combining multiple analytes into a single confirmation will also result in a decreased overall turnaround time.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Without the expansion of comprehensive confirmation methods, many requests for analysis will be sent to an accredited outside laboratory. Any analysis performed by an outside laboratory creates an increased burden and cost to Contra Costa County law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney’s Office if the case is prosecuted.