An Alameda County Grand Jury has found serious problems with the Oakland Police Department’s (OPD) crime lab. The report details a huge backlog of evidence waiting to be tested, inadequate facilities, and a severe staffing shortage.
In 2011, the Forensics Firearm Unit increased their backlog of cases 15 percent to a staggering 1,871 requests for testing. The DNA Unit had a 515 request backlog and the Fingerprint Unit had a backlog of 1,118 latent print requests.
The report also stated that the OPD lab has not yet caught up with many technological advances. The lab does not have testing equipment or staff to test gunshot residue or handle digital evidence. In addition, the grand jury found that the OPD lab does not have any case-tracking software, instead keeping track of its cases in a “rudimentary” spreadsheet.
The grand jury report recommended that the OPD clear its current backlog and acquire a case management database that will integrate into county-wide criminal databases. The report also suggested the establishment of a regional lab.
“Except for seeking short-term grant funding, the city has taken little action to address the lab’s chronic backlogs and staffing needs,” the report states. ‘Without the annual infusion of state or federal grants, the OPD Crime Lab has been forced to clear up old backlogs by simply canceling testing requests, leaving crime victims behind.”
The grand jury has requested a response from Oakland mayor Jean Quan and Police Chief Howard Jordan.
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