Government Technology
Government Technology: State & Local Government News Articles

Sidebar: L.A. Builds Model Lab



Print
Comment

Feb 8, 2008,

A new $102 million forensic science center in Los Angeles could be a model for future labs throughout the country.

The 209,000-square-foot Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center at California State University, Los Angeles, which opened in September 2007, means more room for new lab personnel, updated technology and the opportunity for some collaboration that has been absent. 

The old building was so cramped, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department didn't have enough space to add all the forensics staff it needed. "And now we have this new concept that we've never had before - conference rooms," said Barry Fisher, the county's crime lab director. "So if a detective or district attorney comes down, you have some place to go as opposed to the hallway."

The county shares the facility with the Los Angeles Police Department, which should enhance relations between the two departments. "We're not consolidating services, but we're going to be sharing space," Fisher said. "And the way the building is configured, the office areas are all together and we expect that to cause a lot of really healthy dialog and collaboration."

Also exciting, Fisher added, is that the Cal State Los Angeles graduate program in forensic science is right in the building. "This gives us an opportunity to interact with the students, many of whom we hire and do research," he said. "There are a lot of big pluses in doing this, and I expect this to be a model for labs all over the country and maybe beyond."

The new lab has room for 70 DNA analysts, enabling the county to more than double its number of analysts. Some cutting-edge technology will be added as well, including new DNA equipment and up-to-date fingerprint technology, Fisher said. "We have some technology we've been using to visualize fingerprints. It deals with alternative light sources and it's more state-of-the-art than what we've been using," he said. "We're getting a whole bunch of new DNA equipment to replace some of the existing equipment we have which is getting old. And there is some newer equipment available that helps do some of the testing more quickly than we've been doing it."


If You Liked This Article, You May Also Like...


Latest Government Technology News


Industry Solutions for Government

Read real world deployments of technology in government from our sponsors.

View All Industry Solutions

Related Products and Services

Marketplace



This section
brought to you by:


Mobile Communications Survey Executive Summary

More than 200 responses were captured to help gauge the effectiveness and types of communications and situational awareness capabilities currently deployed for emergency response. View the Executive Summary Now!

Dispatch Operations and Interoperability

A New Era in Public Safety BlackBerry® smartphones running on Sprint networks deliver a wide range of applications that are transforming public safety operations.


Hurricane Preparedness Tips When a hurricane hits, are you prepared to keep in touch?


Case Study - Morris County, New Jersey The Morris County Communications Center upgraded to a new trunked radio system with the benefits of a cellular network, extending coverage beyond county lines


Case Study - Iredell County, North Carolina Spanning over 570 sq miles, it became imperative that the Iredell County Emergency Communications, Operations and Management extend it's communications systems to enhance reliability, security, and coverage.


Case Study - City of Anaheim, California The City of Anaheim saw an opportunity to leverage existing GST and partner with nearby cities to enhance safety operations through data interoperability.


Case Study - Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department Taking advantage of a range of interoperability solution, the Charlottesville Fire Department has achieved a network that can serve as backup to their existing public safety network.


Sprint ERT Go-Kit with GST Optima Rapid, interoperable communications for emergencies, drills and field exercises.


Optimal Interoperability Until recently it was not possible to cost effectively connect commercial networks to LMR systems. Improvements in communications technology have resulted in greatly enhanced operational capability and have reduced the log-term cost of communications system ownership.


Multi-agency interoperability for Public Safety Establishing cross-agency, real-time situational awareness is critical to effective incident management as well as daily resource management.


Video


DHS Grant Links

DHS Grants and Assistance Programs Link to overview of available grants administered by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)


Fact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants Major changes in funding and focus for 2008 DHS grant programs


Remarks on 2008 Homeland Security Grant Guidance DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison


$1.8 billion in DHS Homeland Security Grant Program Awards


Funding Public Safety Communications Whether you are a law enforcement agency, looking for funding to support an interoperable communications solution or a school, seeking to improve communications between building administrators, grants may provide the funding you need to implement a robust, scalable communication system.


Yes! I would like more information about Sprint's dispatch operations and interoperability solutions.