There is a new crime lab being built to serve both the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles. The plan submitted by the Los Angeles Police Department is deficient and will be antiquated upon opening its doors.
On June 27, 2002, the members of the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) for the Los Angeles Regional Crime Laboratory Facility will meet to make critical decisions concerning the use of space at the new laboratory. These programming decisions must be made now to avoid delaying the architect's plans. Our efforts are being made to see as much space as possible in the new laboratory is dedicated to DNA analysis.
After a review of the proposed current plans for the new laboratory, we found that a major failing is the dearth of dedicated, contamination-free DNA space in the area to be occupied by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The Los Angeles Police Department currently has only two STR-trained DNA analysts. They will soon have five more. This is inexcusable and should be unacceptable for a city the size of Los Angeles. The LAPD is projecting that they will have 25 analysts in 2012, and therefore only need dedicate 12,528 gross square feet in the new laboratory for this function. These numbers are grossly deficient.
Based upon present demand alone, LAPD should have 40 DNA analysts today. Rapists and murderers who could be identified today in our database are running free because county and city crime laboratories cannot keep up with current demand. There is not even a remote possibility that they can begin to analyze backlogged forensic evidence accumulated after many years of unsolved crimes. They are certainly not able to analyze rape kits within two years, as contemplated by section 803(i) of the Penal Code.
I am now sitting on the Los Angeles District Attorney Crime Laboratory Advisory Board. The Board is an independent entity made up of working detectives, crime lab scientists, prosecutors, defense attorneys, medical professionals and victim's group representatives. All members are unanimous in support of more DNA analysts in our present crime labs and the proposed new crime lab.
I urge you to join us in supporting a maximum use of space for DNA analysis at the new facility. All we care about is protecting the public. With a strong DNA component in both the LAPD and the Sheriff's sections of the new laboratory, we can prevent future crimes, particularly against women and against children.
I went to Sacramento in order to help change the state laws governing the statute of limitations regarding sexual assault and rape crimes. Essentially as of January 1, 2001, there is no statute in cases in which DNA evidence is used to identify the perpetrator.
Now that those laws are in place, the absolute need for more criminalists, a place for them to work, and their ability to testify in court is imperative. It is embarrassing, insulting and incomprehensible that my own town is in the position of not being able to comply with those laws, nor does it have an interest in doing so in the future.
PUBLIC SAFETY must be addressed and this is the proper place for it to start! Thanks for your support.
On June 27, 2002, the members of the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) for the Los Angeles Regional Crime Laboratory Facility will meet to make critical decisions concerning the use of space at the new laboratory. These programming decisions must be made now to avoid delaying the architect's plans. Our efforts are being made to see as much space as possible in the new laboratory is dedicated to DNA analysis.
After a review of the proposed current plans for the new laboratory, we found that a major failing is the dearth of dedicated, contamination-free DNA space in the area to be occupied by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The Los Angeles Police Department currently has only two STR-trained DNA analysts. They will soon have five more. This is inexcusable and should be unacceptable for a city the size of Los Angeles. The LAPD is projecting that they will have 25 analysts in 2012, and therefore only need dedicate 12,528 gross square feet in the new laboratory for this function. These numbers are grossly deficient.
Based upon present demand alone, LAPD should have 40 DNA analysts today. Rapists and murderers who could be identified today in our database are running free because county and city crime laboratories cannot keep up with current demand. There is not even a remote possibility that they can begin to analyze backlogged forensic evidence accumulated after many years of unsolved crimes. They are certainly not able to analyze rape kits within two years, as contemplated by section 803(i) of the Penal Code.
I am now sitting on the Los Angeles District Attorney Crime Laboratory Advisory Board. The Board is an independent entity made up of working detectives, crime lab scientists, prosecutors, defense attorneys, medical professionals and victim's group representatives. All members are unanimous in support of more DNA analysts in our present crime labs and the proposed new crime lab.
I urge you to join us in supporting a maximum use of space for DNA analysis at the new facility. All we care about is protecting the public. With a strong DNA component in both the LAPD and the Sheriff's sections of the new laboratory, we can prevent future crimes, particularly against women and against children.
I went to Sacramento in order to help change the state laws governing the statute of limitations regarding sexual assault and rape crimes. Essentially as of January 1, 2001, there is no statute in cases in which DNA evidence is used to identify the perpetrator.
Now that those laws are in place, the absolute need for more criminalists, a place for them to work, and their ability to testify in court is imperative. It is embarrassing, insulting and incomprehensible that my own town is in the position of not being able to comply with those laws, nor does it have an interest in doing so in the future.
PUBLIC SAFETY must be addressed and this is the proper place for it to start! Thanks for your support.
