Gov. Perry Awards $880,000 in Forensic Science Improvement Grants
October 24, 2008
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry has awarded more than $880,000 in grants to
eight forensic crime labs throughout the state. These grants are
awarded under the federal Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Grant
Improvement Program and are distributed by the Governor’s Criminal
Justice Division (CJD).
“Forensic science is a growing field that is necessary to ensure the
correct and efficient implementation of justice in criminal cases,”
Gov. Perry said. “These grants will help provide essential
technological upgrades and support forensic science programs across
the state.”
The Coverdell program provides funds to crime laboratories for
technology upgrades and overtime for criminalists to reduce the
backlog of non-DNA evidence.
Each year, CJD awards more than $113 million in grants for a variety
of juvenile justice, criminal justice, and victim services programs.
The awards include:
Award Amount GranteeName ProjectTitle
$93,000 City of Austin Austin Police Department Coverdell Project
$75,000 City of El Paso Police Department's Forensic
Improvement Project
$139,000 City of Houston Forensic Science
$61,700 City of Pasadena Coverdell Crime Lab Improvement Project
$67,500 Dallas County Backlog Reduction non-DNA Evidence
$257,672 Harris County FY08 Coverdell Forensic Improvement Program
$72,502 Jefferson County Reduction of Firearms Case Backlog
$121,000 Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory Service
Trace Evidence Enhancement
Key Points
Gov. Perry awards $880,000 to forensic crime labs across the state
Grands are awarded through the Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Grant
Improvement Program
CJD awards $113 million in grants to programs statewide
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/11481/
