REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
July 23, 2024
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award for the 2023 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program Grant
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept grant award from the California Office of Emergency Services in the amount of $101,757, for the 2023 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program to provide training for the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator Crime Lab personnel from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute the grant award documents and any subsequent non-substantive amendments on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator to transmit all amendments in relation to this grant award to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
4. Authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector to post adjustments to the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator’s 2024-25 budget, as detailed in the Financial Impact section (Four votes required).
(Presenter: Kelly Welty, Chief Deputy Director, 387-0640)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). This grant award in the amount of $101,757 will provide funding to the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Department) for tuition, transportation, meals, and lodging for its Crime Lab personnel to attend specified training. No matching funds are required.
The Department requests the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector post the following adjustments to the 2024-25 budget, as detailed below:
|
Fund Center |
Commitment Item |
Description |
Action |
Amount |
|
4438001000 |
52942941 |
Conference/Training/Seminar Fees |
Increase |
$101,757 |
|
4438001000 |
40509094 |
Federal-Grants |
Increase |
$101,757 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) received federal funds for the 2023 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program (Grant) to improve the quality, timeliness, and credibility of forensic science and medical examiner services. Funds are allocated to the State’s accredited forensic laboratories based upon established criteria.
On December 19, 2023 (Item No. 94), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the submission of the Grant application to Cal OES. Cal OES requires the County to designate an “Authorized Official” to execute the grant award documents. The application submitted by the Department listed the Chief Executive Officer as the Authorized Official. The Certification of Assurance of Compliance further requires a County official to designate the Authorized Official. The Department’s application designated the Chair of the Board to make this certification.
The grant term is April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. The Department’s allocation of $101,757 will be used to supplement the Crime Lab’s operational training budget. This grant will fund training in eight disciplines: 1) general criminalistics, 2) firearms, 3) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), 4) trace evidence, 5) blood alcohol, 6) controlled substances, 7) crime scene investigation, and 8) Ten Prints/Latent Comparisons. The additional training will increase the knowledge of the laboratory’s staff with the goal of improved efficiency and turn-around time in analyzing evidence.
The award notification was released by Cal OES on May 28, 2024, and the request to accept it is being submitted to the Board for approval at the first available meeting date after completion of the review process. The Department can submit claims for reimbursement retroactively from April 1, 2024.
The grant award was reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and determined to be exempt from future environmental review in accordance with 14 California Code of Regulations section 15061, subdivision (b)(3), "it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment," and 14 California Code of Regulations section 15321, subdivision (b) “Law enforcement activities by peace officers acting under any law that provides a criminal sanction”. The County made this finding on December 19, 2023, and fulfilled its obligation under CEQA for this project with the filing and posting of the Notice of Exemption by the Clerk of the Board.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 24, 2024; Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector (Charlene Huang, Auditor-Controller Manager, 382-7022) on June 26, 2024; Finance (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on July 2, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on July 8, 2024.