SAN Diego County Sheriff's Department I reviewed the Grand Jury's recent report outlining their findings and*

As a result of funding shortfalls, crime labs are understaffed and under-equipped to meet SB 22 requirements. Keeping the Peace Since 1850 2021/2022 Grand Jury Response - Sexual Assault Kit Testing & Senate Bill 22 July 28, 2022 Response: The San Diego County Sheriff's Department agrees with this finding. However, as it relates specifically to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the Department has met all SB22 requirements. Unfortunately, due to this mandate, turnaround times of other case types are impacted as resources are prioritized to ensure all SAKs are tested within 120 days from receipt by the Crime Lab. SB22, while instituting a 120-day requirement, did not come with additional funding to help accomplish this mandate. Additionally, the Crime Lab lost 3 full-time Criminalist positions originally allocated in DNA due to revenue decreases from Proposition 69 funding. This resulted in a staffing loss in other laboratory sections to maintain DNA operations to meet the SB22 requirement. The Crime Lab has also seen a 44% increase in SAK submissions from 2018, when official state tracking started.

Availability of resources is often a limiting factor in the processing of Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs). Any concerted effort to process SAKs in a timely manner must include adequate staffing and financial resources. Response: The San Diego County Sheriff's Department agrees with this finding. The Crime Lab took several steps to implement the mandates under SB 22 in January of 2020 to ensure legislative compliance and the least impact on criminal justice stakeholders. Recently, the Crime Lab has purchased automated analysis platforms to improve case workflows, increase analytical capacity, and reduce staff in-laboratory time. The Crime Lab expects to have these improvements in place by mid-to-late 2023, all were funded on federal grant funds. It is important to note that this systematic upgrade is ongoing, and all process improvements implemented by the Crime Lab have yet to be fully realized.