Brief

The Board of Police Commissioners applied for and received a U.S. Department of Justice grant to improve DNA processing and clear backlogs in the LAPD crime lab. The City Administrative Officer submitted supporting documentation in July 2025. Both the Public Safety Committee and Budget and Finance Committee approved the matter, and Council adopted it unanimously (14-0-1) on July 1, 2026. A subsequent CAO report submitted September 8, 2026, was referred to both committees on September 9, 2026, and remains pending.

Full summary

The 2024 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program is a federal grant administered through the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Board of Police Commissioners initiated this file to accept a nearly $2 million award — $1,995,862 — to expand DNA testing capacity and reduce the case backlog in the LAPD's Forensic Science Division, Serology/DNA Unit. Eligible uses of the funds include overtime pay for civilian Criminalists, Photographers, and Laboratory Technicians, training travel, equipment purchases, and DNA reagent supplies. The file moved through the standard vetting process in mid-2025. The Public Safety Committee approved the matter on August 20, 2025, Budget and Finance concurred on September 2, 2025, and Council adopted the item in September and again on September 30, 2025. The Mayor did not veto, and the action became final in October 2025. In June 2026, the Board of Police Commissioners submitted an additional related document; Council formally adopted the item forthwith by a vote of 14-0-1 on July 1, 2026, and the action became final on July 14, 2026. The most recent development is a September 8, 2026 CAO report, now pending in both committees, recommending that Council authorize a one-year no-cost extension of the grant. Because full program operations began significantly later than anticipated due to administrative delays, the Bureau of Justice Assistance has already agreed to extend the award period from its original end date of September 30, 2026 to September 30, 2027 — stretching the grant from a two-year to a three-year term at no additional cost to the city's General Fund. The CAO is asking Council to formally authorize the Chief of Police to accept the extension and execute the amended grant agreement. No vote on this extension request has yet been recorded.

Activity (27)

• 2026-09-15 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
• 2026-09-09 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.
• 2026-09-08 Document submitted by City Administrative Officer, dated September 8, 2026.
• 2026-07-14 Council action final.
• 2026-07-04 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is July 14, 2026.
• 2026-07-01 Council adopted item forthwith.
• 2026-06-26 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on July 1, 2026.
• 2026-06-04 Board of Police Commissioners document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.
• 2026-06-03 Document submitted by Board of Police Commissioners, dated June 3, 2026.
• 2025-10-16 Council action final.
• 2025-10-01 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is October 14, 2025.
• 2025-09-30 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2025-09-26 Council action final.
• 2025-09-26 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on September 30, 2025.
• 2025-09-19 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is September 29, 2025.
• 2025-09-17 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2025-09-12 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on September 17, 2025.
• 2025-09-02 Budget and Finance Committee concurred with the Public Safety Committee action of August 20, 2025.
• 2025-08-29 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 2, 2025.
• 2025-08-20 Public Safety Committee approved item(s) .
• 2025-08-15 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 20, 2025.
• 2025-08-06 The Public Safety Committee has cancelled its meeting scheduled for Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
• 2025-08-01 Public Safety Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 6, 2025.
• 2025-07-08 City Administrative Officer document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.
• 2025-07-07 Document(s) submitted by City Administrative Officer, as follows:City Administrative Officer report, dated July 7, 205, relative to the 2024 Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program grant..
• 2025-01-09 Board of Police Commissioners document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Public Safety Committee.
• 2025-01-08 Document(s) submitted by Board of Police Commissioners, as follows:Board of Police Commissioners report dated January 7, 2025, relative to the grant application and award for the 2024 DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program.

Documents (11)

• 2026-09-15 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-09-08 Report from City Administrative Officer · report
• 2026-07-14 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2026-06-03 Report from Board of Police Commissioners · report
• 2025-10-14 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2025-09-26 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2025-09-26 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2025-09-05 Report from Public Safety and Budget and Fiinance Committee · report
• 2025-08-20 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2025-07-07 Report from City Administrative Officer · report
• 2025-01-07 Report from Board of Police Commissioners · report

Council votes (2)

• 2026-07-01 Vote — 14-0-1 · Regular
• 2025-09-30 Adopted — 13-0-2 · Regular