Title
District Attorney recommending the Board
1) Approve the use of Supplemental Local Law Enforcement Funding in Fiscal Year 2017/18 for the purchase of equipment and software for a digital forensic lab in the District Attorney's leased facility;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a budget transfer increasing revenue and appropriations within the District Attorney's budget by $40,000; and
3) Approve the addition of a Forensic Tower to the District Attorney's Fiscal Year 2017/18 Fixed Asset List.
FUNDING: Supplemental Local Law Enforcement Funding.
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
1) Approve the use of Supplemental Local Law Enforcement Funding in Fiscal Year 2017/18 for the purchase of equipment and software for a digital forensic lab in the District Attorney's leased facility;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign a budget transfer increasing revenue and appropriations within the District Attorney's budget by $40,000; and
3) Approve the addition of a Forensic Tower to the District Attorney's Fiscal Year 2017/18 Fixed Asset List.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The County of El Dorado has historically relied on the Sheriff’s Office to conduct the majority of digital forensics investigations in the area, which also conducts such examinations for all of the surrounding agencies including Placerville Police Department, South Lake Tahoe Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Fish and Wildlife, CDCR, Probation, and Animal Control.
It is not uncommon for forensic acquisitions and analyses to take several days if not weeks to complete. These requests are often time-sensitive in nature and could mean the difference between conviction and acquittal. The addition of a District Attorney’s Office digital forensic laboratory would reduce the man-hours required to conduct such examinations and ultimately provide long-term cost savings not only to this agency but to those utilizing our services. It would further assist in preventing the need to contract out...
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