Provided multiple resources to VA from EVAWI related to why victims recant testimony. Also provided a few research articles about the prevalence rates of victims recanting evidence.
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Julia, Crystal, Jim, and Kevin met with VSP intelligence analyst lead Thomas Kohlbeck to discuss potential SAU assessment of the cold case fusion center with VSP.
Would like to do FGG and other advanced testing in their new FY20 award. Connect with Maricopa County to discuss how they approached advanced testing with multiple procurements. Other localities in the state might want to use those funds.
Working on inventory for partially tested kits. Main focus is on kits that were tested before we had advanced DNA testing, 998 and earlier.
Some localities have had varying policies for retention of records or evidence. Some have PERKS, but no associated records. Julia to look into how to help VA for kits that only have forensic evidence but no other record information.
Moving forward with hiring crime analysts (2)- subaward, VSP will be hiring.
Waiting for internal paperwork for subaward for VSP (for advanced testing subaward). Then they'll go through the procurement process.
ViCAP Challenges - Are you experiencing any challenges or barriers preventing ViCAP entry? Yes, we finally have someone hired who can do this (had delays due to COVID hiring). Steve has been trained, will set up a hub with VSP, but Steve doesn't have access yet. Working on that now. Thomas Kohlbeck is going to assist.
Serial Offenders- Have you identified serial offenders through SAKI case investigations? Yes!
Challenge from a state-wide perspective. Localities don’t have the bandwidth to investigate. Steve has been reaching out and making connections. Can take cases off of their plate!
Using DANY spreadsheet, and modified columns to capture SAKI grant. Can filter by serial offending. Also seeing cross offending. VA to provide data to Julia shortly on these metrics.
Discussed progress on FY19 and FY20 grants.
VA has started inventory for partially tested kits. Sent out a request to all LE agencies across the state.
Using forklift approach with 2016 project, and plan to do that here too.
Pleasantly surprised at the number of people asking questions and wanting to get it done. Over 30 agencies already sent in their inventory numbers!
Lab has been helping with this inventory. Might want to ask if they have any kits in their possession. May have already addressed, but certainly will check. Medical examiner might be housing any kits as well.
Can we use SAKI funds to pay overtime for LE to perform partially tested kit inventory.- yes
Also should be reviewing homicide cases with a SA component.
Advanced Cold case sub-award: Already identified cases to test. Need to get inventory approved. Had to set up subaward with VSP.
Discussed PMT questions: The PMT should be viewed as a non-linear process for cases. Just report whatever has happened that quarter, even if the numbers don’t match up. Whatever you did with your money that quarter, you should report. So, for cases that don’t get a hit but are still investigated, you would still report that information (even if the numbers don’t reconcile).
Working on NEPA approval.
Want funding released to get (2) crime analyst hired, want help with wrangling agencies.
State police has worked with ViCAP to be a hub. Their unit is going to be the actual ViCAP resource hub.
Not doing FGG yet, but planning to! Plans with VSP cold case center. Certainly for subgrant advanced testing. For 2020 SAKI grant, also have cases to pursue. Other localities in the state might want to use those funds.
How is your partially tested kits inventory coming along? I know you’re working on NEPA documentation and getting your special withholding condition released. BJA just let us know that they’re starting to move this forward. Have you all had progress? If you want to do a phased inventory, you’ll need to get that submitted to BJA. Working on inventory for partially tested kits. Main focus is on kits that were tested before we had advanced DNA testing, 1998 for us. Some localities have had varying policies for retention of records or evidence. Some have PERKS, but no associated records. All they have is the kits. What is the best course of action when we test a kit with NO associated information. Julia to look into this for VA.
Moving forward with hiring crime analysts (2)- subaward, VSP will be hiring.
How is your advanced cold case sub-award coming along? Waiting for internal paperwork for subaward for VSP. Then they'll go through the procurement process. Not as strict a process.
ViCAP Challenges
Steve has been trained in VICAP and will be the POC. Going to set up hub with state police. Want the VSP to house that VICAP capacity.
Serial Offenders
Have you identified serial offenders through SAKI case investigations? Yes!
Challenge from a state-wide perspective. Localities don’t have the bandwidth to investigate. Steve has been reaching out and making connections. Can take cases off of their plate!
Using DANY spreadsheet, and modified columns to capture SAKI grant. Can filter by serial offending. Also seeing cross offending.
With FY20 grant, open contracts with different labs to provide FGG. So whenever they had a locality, could decide based on their need, they could decide which lab they could go with. Julia to connect VA with Maricopa County for advice on advanced testing procurement.
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