[Houston Forensic Science Center: Board of Directors Meeting on May 8, 2026.]
[00:00:21]
TO NATALIE.WE'RE WAITING ON ONE MORE PERSON.
WE'LL GIVE IT JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER MINUTE.
FELT LIKE I WAS IN THIRD GRADE.
IF I HAD A RULER, I COULD BE A NUN.
RIGHT? WE CALLED THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
ANY WORD FROM HER NET, YOU KNOW? NO, I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD.
OKAY, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I'D LIKE TO CALL US TO ORDER, PLEASE.
MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? YES, MADAM CHAIR.
CHAIRWOMAN COHEN, VICE CHAIR BAIRD.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE ROLL CALL, MADAM CHAIR.
WITH THAT, LET'S PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO SEND OUR WELL WISHES TO OUR CHAIRWOMAN COHEN.
WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER BACK AT THE TABLE WITH US.
SHE'S HAD A BIT OF A DIFFICULT TIME OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, SO HOPEFULLY SHE'S ON THE MEND AND WE'LL SEE HER AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
BUT IN HER ABSENCE, I WANT TO REMIND THE BOARD THAT NEXT MONTH OUR MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JULY 10TH, WHICH IS THE WEEK AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE CELEBRATING TWO 50, RIGHT? SO WE KNOW THE SUMMER SCHEDULES CAN GET HECTIC, SO PLEASE RESPOND TO OUR BOARD SECRETARY, MS. ZI HALEY, TO REGARDING ATTENDANCE.
SO WE KNOW IF YOU'RE ABLE TO, UH, GET A QUORUM IN ATTENDANCE FOR THAT DATE.
NATALIE, IS IT HALEY OR HALLE? HALEY.
UM, ALSO, MOTHER'S DAY IS THIS WEEKEND.
SO HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO, UH, ALL THE MOMS AND GRANDMOTHERS.
UH, AND, UH, I'M A MOM AND A GRANDMOTHER TOO, SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT MOTHER'S DAY.
UH, LASTLY, DIRECTORS, PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR AN EMAIL FROM NATALIE REGARDING THE FINANCIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST FORM FOR FISCAL FISCAL YEAR 2027.
UH, IT'S AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT FOR US AND WE NEED TO RESPOND IN A TIMELY MANNER SO WE HAVE THIS TAKEN CARE OF AND HAVE THAT OBLIGATION FULFILLED.
WITH THAT, I CONCLUDE MY REPORT, AND NOW WE'LL PROCEED TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
INVITE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISHES TO SPEAK TO THE, UH, SPEAK TO COME TO THE PODIUM AND ADDRESS THE BOARD.
WE ASK ALL SPEAKERS TO SIGN IN AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM SO WE ARE AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE AND THAT ALL COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
YOU MAY SPEAK ON ANY MATTER CONCERNING THE BOARD AND H-H-F-S-C.
SO AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HAS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NOBODY EVER SHOWS UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I GUESS THAT'S A GOOD THING, IS THAT THANK YOU
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WILL CLOSE AT THIS TIME.
NOW WE'LL CONSIDER MEETING MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 13TH, 2026 BOARD MEETING.
DOES ANYONE HAVE CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS TO THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED? HEARING NONE? UM, WE'LL CONDUCT A VOICE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES MOTION.
I HEARD FROM, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, SILVERMAN, UH, AS A, A FIRST AND A SECOND FROM DIRECTOR DURPHY.
AND THANK YOU FOR JUMPING RIGHT IN AT YOUR FIRST MEETING AND ASSERTING YOUR POWER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UH, AND SO PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME FOR AVO.
[00:05:01]
UNANIMOUSLY.MOVING ON TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX.
AS YOU KNOW, THE BOARD APPOINTS CORPORATE OFFICERS ANNUALLY AS REQUIRED BY THE BYLAWS.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A WONDERFUL GROUP OF OFFICERS AND IT'S WRITTEN HERE, BUT BOY, I REALLY BELIEVE IT.
I THINK WE HAVE EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP IN THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER AND I'M PLEASED TO OFFER THEM UP FOR BOARD REAPPOINTMENT.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CHALLENGES OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN GUIDING OUR STAFF AND BOARD THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES, I'M CONFIDENT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THE LEADERSHIP THAT H-F-H-F-S-C NEEDS.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? IF THERE ARE NONE, LET'S PROCEED TO THE VOTE.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL CONDUCT AVO A VOICE VOTE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? AND SECOND, TO APPOINT OUR CORPORATE OFFICERS, DR. PETER STOUT AS PRESIDENT DR. AMY CASTILLO AS VICE PRESIDENT MR. DAVID LEACH AS TREASURER.
AND MS. NATALIE VC HALEY AS OUR SECRETARY UNTIL THE MAY, 2027 BOARD MEETING.
SO, MAY I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE? MOTION.
WE HAVE A, UH, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS FOR AT THIS TIME.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CORPORATE OFFICERS.
YOU NOW HAVE A JOB FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH YOU.
YOU'VE ALL DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
AND NATALIE, YOU KEEP EVERYBODY IN LINE AND YOU'VE DONE A FABULOUS JOB.
AND AKILAH, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT WHOEVER SITS IN THIS CHAIR KNOWS WHAT TO SAY AND HOW TO SAY IT, AND HOPEFULLY KEEPS US OUT OF TROUBLE.
UM, NEXT ANNUAL BUSINESS ITEM IS THE SELECTION OF THE BOARD VICE CHAIR AND THE BOARD PASTOR RESOLUTION IN 2020 WAS, SETS THE ANNUAL SELECTION OF THIS POSITION ON THE SAME DATE AS THE APPOINTMENT OF CORPORATE OFFICERS BECAUSE I AM CURRENTLY IN THAT ROLE.
I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO DIRECTOR HUFF TO PRESIDE OVER THE DISCUSSION AND VOTE.
UH, THANK YOU VICE CHAIR BAIRD.
SO, DIRECTORS, WE ARE C SORRY, UM, TO HAVE VICE CHAIR BAIRD SERVING IN THIS POSITION.
UM, SHE'S BEEN A GREAT CHAMPION OF THE HS.
F-H-F-S-C AND, UM, HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELCOMING TO ALL OF US.
SHE'S ALWAYS READY TO ASSIST THE ORGANIZATION IN ANY WAY WE NEED, AND SHE MAKES THE EFFORT TO CONNECT WITH STAFF OUTSIDE OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS.
I'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED BY THIS.
MY PERSONALLY, I'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF CHAIRWOMAN COHEN'S DESIRE TO HAVE DIRECTOR BAIRD CONTINUE IN THIS VICE CHAIR ROLE.
AND DIRECTOR BAIRD HAS GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO CONTINUE SERVING IF THE BOARD IS IN AGREEMENT.
UM, WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE DIRECTOR JOANIE BAIRD TO CONTINUE SERVING AS OUR VICE CHAIR.
I THINK SHE'S A WONDERFUL LEADER, UM, AND FOR THIS DISTINGUISHED BOARD, AND I TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, BEFORE I FORMALLY CALL FOR A MOTION TO SELECT DIRECTOR BAIRD TO SERVE ANOTHER TERM, I'LL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO HER FOR ANY COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE.
THIS HAS BEEN SO MUCH FUN BEING ON THIS BOARD WITH ALL OF YOU.
UM, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.
EVERY DAY I LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION AND THE EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS THAT WE HAVE.
AS YOU KNOW, I CAME OUT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, SO I HAD A BIT OF EXPERIENCE IN FORENSICS AND UM, THIS JUST HAS EXPANDED MY WORLD.
AND HAVING BEEN RETIRED FROM CHEVRON, I LOVE HAVING THIS TO DO AND IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I'M REALLY MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S FABULOUS BEING WITH ALL OF YOU.
AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR SUPPORTING, UH, THE ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS AND WE'RE COMING UP ON BUDGET TIMES.
SO I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO THEM, UH, IN ADVANCE OF THEM GIVING US ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? MY MOM WANTED TO
I THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE VIDEOTAPED HER IN MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW.
HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AT THIS TIME WE WILL CONDUCT A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE REAPPOINTMENT OF OUR VICE CHAIR.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? AND A SECOND TO REAPPOINT DIRECTOR JONI BAIRD AS THE BOARD OF VICE CHAIR FOR A TERM, CONCLUDING AT THE MAY, 2027 BOARD MEETING.
I HEARD A MOTION FROM DIRECTOR SILVERMAN.
SECOND THANK YOU FROM DIRECTOR DURPHY.
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? OKAY.
PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME.
[00:10:01]
VOTE.HEARING NAY, THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS DIRECTOR BAIRD.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED WORK AND WORKING WITH YOU.
AND THANKS FOR YOUR VOTE OF SUPPORT.
NOW WE'RE GOING ON TO, UH, REPORT FOR DR. CASTILLO, OUR VICE PRESIDENT AND COO AND INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS AND TECHNICAL UPDATES AND OTHER CORPORATE BUSINESS.
DR. STOUT IS AT A CONFERENCE SOMEWHERE, UH, I THINK ONLINE.
HE'S A PART OF A TOXICOLOGY PANEL.
HE'S KIND OF LIKE, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS
SO WHAT WE DECIDED TO PRESENT THIS, UM, BOARD MEETING FOR Y'ALL IS THE, WHAT WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UM, WE WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO GIVE SOME UPDATES ON PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE AS WELL AS OUR BACKLOGS AND SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON BRINGING ONLINE.
WE ALSO DID TALK ABOUT THE FY 27 BUDGET PROPOSAL.
I DIDN'T KEEP THAT IN THIS PRESENTATION 'CAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING THAT PETER PRESENTED, UM, AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
AND THERE'S ALSO IN THE PACKET, YOU CAN, IF YOU HAVE THE DIGITAL VERSION, YOU CAN WATCH THE LINK OF THE ACTUAL PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING AS WELL.
SO FIRST ON PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE TRANSITION.
UM, JUST AS A REMINDER THAT PROPERTY AND EVIDENCE STORAGE IS MOVING OVER TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HFSC.
UM, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED PARTS OF THAT PROCESS.
THE GOAL OF THIS IS THAT THE INTAKE AND PRESERVATION FUNCTIONS MOVE OVER TO THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER.
HOWEVER, THE DISPOSITION OF EVIDENCE WILL REMAIN WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS ULTIMATELY ALWAYS GOING TO BE THEIR EVIDENCE.
AND ALSO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA HAVE THE BEST KNOWLEDGE OF WHETHER WHERE A CASE IS AT IN THE PROCESS AND WHETHER IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE EVIDENCE TO BE, UM, DISPOSED OF AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS REDUCES THE RISK FOR HPD.
THEY HAVE A LOT ON THEIR PLATE AS ALWAYS.
UM, THEY COULD USE A LOT MORE RESOURCES.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST THAT OFFICERS, UM, RESOURCES ARE BEING DEVOTED TO MANAGING EVIDENCE, WHICH IS WHERE THE LAB HAS A LOT OF EXPERTISE ON HOW BEST TO STORE, PRESERVE, SEAL, ALL OF THOSE PIECES.
SO IT JUST MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE FOR THE LAB TO BE, UM, HELPING WITH THAT FUNCTION.
UM, WE'RE HOPING THIS HELPS BECAUSE IT IS ONE LAB RUNNING ALL OF THAT TO STANDARDIZE HOW WE DO THE EVIDENCE.
AND IT'S ALSO BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE RESOURCES ARE BEING DIVIDED BETWEEN PRESERVING THE EVIDENCE VERSUS DISPOSITION, PUSHING THE DISPOSITION PROCESS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT AND BETTER BUILT SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENTLY DISPOSING OF EVIDENCE.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT DISPOSING OF IT AND IT JUST KEEPS COMING IN AT, WE ALREADY ARE AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHERE WE KEEP EVERYTHING IN THE APPROPRIATE MANNER.
SO WE HAVE MAPPED OUT THE PLAN OVER, UM, THIS FISCAL YEAR AS WELL AS THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS.
SO THIS YEAR WHAT WE'VE WORKED ON IS WE DID HIRE SIX STAFF MEMBERS TO WORK AT HFSC.
MOST OF THESE STAFF MEMBERS WERE ACTUALLY FORMER PROPERTY ROOM STAFF, WHICH WAS VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SYSTEM.
THEY'RE THE STAFF THAT ARE HELPING US MOVE EVIDENCE OVER RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS AND TEST FIRES HAVE ALREADY STARTED MOVING OVER TO JEFFERSON.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE AUDITING THAT, PACKAGING IT, BRINGING IT OVER, SETTING UP THE STORAGE LOCATIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
UM, THESE NUMBERS HAVE SINCE CHANGED, BUT WE'VE MOVED OVER 8,000 KITS AT THIS POINT ALREADY OVER.
AND I'LL SHOW SOME PICTURES IN A MINUTE.
UM, WE'VE MOVED THE TEST FIRES OVER TO JEFFERSON AND WE'VE ALSO CREATED A FREEZER ROOM.
WE HAVE NOT MOVED ANY FROZEN STORAGE OVER TO JEFFERSON YET, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE EVER BEEN TO THE PROPERTY ROOM.
BUT FROZEN STORAGE RIGHT NOW IS A GIANT WALK-IN FREEZER.
IT'S AT LEAST TWO STORIES TALL, BUT WAREHOUSE STORIES TALL.
UM, AND THAT FREEZER IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE, UM, BOTH FROM A RESOURCE PERSPECTIVE, IT TENDS TO BREAK.
IT HAS CAUSED SOME LEAKAGE ISSUES ON THE OUTSIDE.
AND WHAT THE LAB HAS WORKED WITH A PROPERTY ROOM ON IS THAT A ROOM THAT BIG ALSO MEANS THERE'S A LOT IN THERE THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY NEED TO BE FROZEN BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT OPEN SPACE, UM, TO PUT THINGS THAT YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO DO IS BUILD A FREEZER ROOM AT JEFFERSON, WHICH IS INDIVIDUAL FREEZERS, AND THEN GOING THROUGH THE, ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE WALK-IN FREEZER AT WASHINGTON, FIGURING OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE FROZEN AND THEN TRANSITIONING THAT TO BE FROZEN IN STANDALONE FREEZERS AS OPPOSED TO THIS BIG WALK-IN FREEZER.
ULTIMATELY WHAT THAT WILL ALSO DO IS ALLOW FOR THE DECOMMISSION
[00:15:01]
OF THAT FREEZER AT WASHINGTON.AND THAT OPENS UP A LOT MORE SPACE TO EXPAND GUN STORAGE.
SO IT'S KIND OF A, A CASCADE OF EVENTS THAT'S HAPPENING.
THE FIRST STEP WAS GETTING THIS FREEZER ROOM SET UP AT JEFFERSON AND NOW WE GET TO GO THROUGH AN EVIDENCE LIST OF 30,000 ITEMS, I BELIEVE, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT AND HOW WE CAN MOVE SOME STUFF OUT OF THERE.
UM, FROM AN HPD PERSPECTIVE, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING THIS PAST YEAR ON REFILLING VACANT POSITIONS AT THE PROPERTY ROOMS SO THAT THEY'RE FULLY STAFFED, UM, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL TO US DOWN THE ROAD SO THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING OVER SOMETHING THAT WASN'T STAFFED APPROPRIATELY WHEN THE TIME COMES.
THEY'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON POLICIES AROUND EVIDENCE, DISPOSITION, AND ALSO WHAT EVIDENCE THEY ACTUALLY TAKE IN TO THE PROPERTY ROOM.
UM, WE'LL FIND BELINDA, THE, THE MANAGER IN CHARGE OF THIS PROJECT HAS A, LIKE, SOMEBODY BRINGS A ROCK 'CAUSE THAT ROCK WAS THROWN THROUGH A WINDOW AND WE CAN DO NOTHING WITH THAT ROCK IN THE LAB.
SO WHY ARE WE STORING THE ROCK VERSUS PHOTO DOCUMENTING THE ROCK? AND SO TRYING TO GET SOME POLICIES IN PLACE THAT REALLY ALLOW THE PROPERTY ROOM TO PUT MORE BOUNDARIES ON WHAT'S COMING IN.
AND ALSO MORE POLICIES ON EXPECTATIONS AROUND DISPOSITION.
SO AGAIN, THINKING TWO, THREE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, IF WE CAN START GETTING IMPROVEMENTS IN WHAT'S COMING IN AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE GETTING STUFF OUT, WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING OVER A MORE EFFICIENTLY, UH, A MORE EFFICIENT PROPERTY ROOM.
SO THAT'S ALL BEEN IN THE WORKS THIS YEAR, AND FY 27 9 HPD POSITIONS WILL TRANSFER OVER TO THE HOUSTON FORENSIC SCIENCE CENTER AND WE WILL HIRE THO THOSE PEOPLE.
THEIR MAIN ROLE WILL BE AT WASHINGTON.
AND IT'S TO GET BACK IN PLACE THE AUDITING FUNCTION AND WAREHOUSE FUNCTION.
WHEN, UM, THE CITY HAD THE RETIREMENT PLAN THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE TOOK, THE PROPERTY ROOM, I BELIEVE LOST 13, AT LEAST 13 PEOPLE.
UM, AND SO THE FUNCTION THAT ENDED UP LEAVING WAS THAT WAREHOUSE AND AUDITING FUNCTION BECAUSE THEY HAD TO FOCUS ON THE FRONT DOOR AND BEING THERE TO RECEIVE EVIDENCE.
SO THIS YEAR WE PLAN, WE PLAN ON HIRING THOSE PEOPLE AND HAVING THAT FUNCTION START SO THAT THE WAREHOUSING AND AUDITING CAN BE AGAIN OCCURRING BEFORE WE ACTUALLY TAKE OVER AT WASHINGTON ITSELF.
UM, AND THEN HPD, WE'RE STILL GONNA BE WORKING ON THEM WITH ACTUALLY THE ICA AND WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL AND HPD TO START GETTING THAT ON PAPER.
AND ALSO HPD HAS SOME, WE'RE SETTING SOME EXPECTATIONS WITH THEM OF CONTINUING DISPOSITION POLICIES, INTAKE POLICIES, SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THAT, UM, WITH THE GOAL OF AN FY 28 HFSC WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE OVER THE FUNCTION AT WASHINGTON, WHICH WOULD BE TAKING OVER THE INTAKE PROCESS AND BEING IN CHARGE OF THAT BUILDING AND THE EVIDENCE INSIDE OF IT.
SO RIGHT NOW, THAT'S HOW WE'VE MAPPED OUT THAT PLAN.
ANY QUESTIONS? CAN I ASK, CAN I ASK YOU, YOU, YOU'RE REFERRING TO AUDITING.
WHAT IS THAT AUDITING FUNCTION? IT'S BASICALLY GOING THROUGH EACH SHELF, PULLING UP THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AND SAYING WHAT EVIDENCE SHOULD BE ON THE SHELF AND IS IT ON THE SHELF? UM, AND IF IT'S NOT, WHERE IS IT? OFTENTIMES IT'S JUST ON ANOTHER SHELF.
BUT MAKING SURE WE HAVE A TRUE ACCOUNTING OF EVERYTHING THERE AND WHERE IT'S AT.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE, DO, WHAT, WHAT STANDARDIZING THE EVIDENCE MEANS? AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION I HAD WAS, HAS THERE BEEN, UM, I MEAN COMPETING INTERESTS AS THIS TRANSITION HAPPENS WITH HPD AND US AND YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THOSE? OKAY.
UM, STANDARDIZING EVIDENCE, I THINK A LOT OF IT WOULD MEAN HOW SOMETHING, SO SAY THE ROCK, UM, FIRST STANDARDIZING, DO WE TAKE THE ROCK OR NOT? AND SECONDLY, IF WE DO TAKE THE ROCK BECAUSE THERE'S POSSIBLE BLOOD ON THE ROCK THAT, THAT WE CAN SWAB AND DO SOMETHING WITH, UM, HOW IS THAT PACKAGED? HOW IS IT SEALED AND PUT AWAY? RIGHT NOW OUR CLIENT SERVICES AND CASE MANAGEMENT DIVISION, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO GO OVER AND GET THE EVIDENCE AND BRING IT OVER.
AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE FUNCTION RIGHT NOW OF MAKING SURE BEFORE THEY TAKE CUSTODY OF AN ITEM THAT IT'S SEALED PROPERLY, THAT WE CAN TELL IT'S LABELED PROPERLY.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO STANDARDIZE THAT WE'D HAVE MANY, UH, MUCH FEWER CHANCES THAT WE'RE REJECTING THE EVIDENCE AT THAT POINT AND THAT THE EVIDENCE CAN BE TESTED.
'CAUSE IF THAT ROCK WITH BLOOD GOES BACK TO THE STORAGE AND IT WAS NEVER PUT IN PACKAGING, THEN WE STILL HAVE A CONCERN OF WHETHER IT'S TRULY, UM, SUITABLE FOR FORENSIC TESTING AT THAT POINT.
I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW, UM, HPD IS PRETTY HAPPY THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS OVER.
UM, I DON'T THINK EV PROPERTY IS EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE.
I THINK THE BIG THING AND PART OF, AS WE'VE MAPPED THIS OUT IS REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE STAFF THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROPERTY ROOM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, FEEL HEARD, KNOW HOW THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S WHY US TAKING OVER INTAKE IS PUSHED ALL THE WAY OUT TO FY 28 BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANNA TAKE OVER.
[00:20:01]
THERE WAS A, SOME CONVERSATION WITH VACANCIES THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW, SHOULD HFSC GO AHEAD AND TAKE THOSE VACANCIES, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S COMING.AND OUR ANSWER WAS NO, BECAUSE HAVING ONE DIVISION MANAGED BY TWO SEPARATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WOULD BE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR THAT STAFF.
UM, AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT'S, I THINK OUR BIGGEST CONCERN AND WHERE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS A LOT OF EFFORT IS MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN THAT STAFF FEEL LIKE THIS IS A, A GOOD TRANSITION FOR THEM AS WELL.
AND IT MAKES SENSE TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP.
HASN'T BEEN, UH, ON A VISIT THERE REALLY.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY COULD DO THAT.
IT'S A SITE TO BEHOLD AND ESPECIALLY THIS WHOLE FREEZER CONCEPT THAT THEY'LL JUST TAKE THIS BIG FREEZER, THE NEW FREEZER AND JUST MOVE THE WHOLE THING.
SO IT'S NOT HAVING TO GO IN AND MOVE ONE THING AT A TIME.
IT YEAH, THEY'VE GOT A PROCESS THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
YEAH, NO, IT ABSOLUTELY WE COULD DO THAT.
TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON ASTHMA'S, LEGALLY WHO, WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY? IT WILL BE HP D'S PROPERTY.
WE WILL NEVER LEGALLY OWN THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S THE, THE PRECEDENT RIGHT NOW.
LIKE IF SOMEBODY WERE TO COME, WE, WE HAVE SOMETIMES REQUESTS OF CAN YOU DO THIS WITH THE EVIDENCE? CAN YOU DO THAT WITH THE EVIDENCE? AND WE'RE LIKE, WE CAN BRING THE EVIDENCE TO THE LAB AND WE CAN TEST IT AND WE CAN TAKE IT BACK TO THE PROPERTY ROOM AND THEN IF IT NEEDS TO BE SENT SOMEWHERE ELSE, IF THEY WANNA VIEW IT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, THEN IT NEEDS TO BE UNDER THE JURISDICTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, A KEEL, IF JURISDICTION'S THE RIGHT WORD,
I, I THINK THERE PROBABLY IS MAYBE SOME OF HPD VERSUS H-C-D-A-O, BUT WE HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR IT'S NOT OUR EVIDENCE.
WE JUST TEST THE EVIDENCE AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE PRESERVING AND STORING IT.
SO LEGALLY HPD CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT TO WITH THE EVIDENCE.
AQUILA, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD SAY LEGALLY THEY CAN BECAUSE IT IS EVIDENCE IN A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
SO THERE'S STILL RULES AROUND EVIDENCE, DISPOSITION AND YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING FOR ACTUAL LITIGATION.
UM, BUT YES, SO, SO THEY ARE THE ONES WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COLLECTING THE EVIDENCE, MAINTAINING IT.
WE ARE A PART OF THAT CHAIN OF CUSTODY.
WE HAVE CUSTODY OF IT DURING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE PROCESS, BUT ULTIMATELY AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE, UM, SORT OF ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THAT EVIDENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, IS, IS MAINTAINED.
SO JUST SOME PICTURES OF OUR, UM, NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BASEMENT.
UM, THE PICTURE WITH THE WHITE BOXES, THAT IS ALL TEST FIRES THAT HAVE BEEN MOVED OVER FROM THE WASHINGTON PROPERTY ROOM OVER TO JEFFERSON.
THE CARDBOARD BOXES YOU SEE GOING AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW ARE SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE STORING THOSE IS THEY ARE CONTAINERIZED INSIDE OF THOSE CARDBOARD BOXES.
AND EVERY SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT IS ALSO VACUUM SEALED.
SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT REGARDLESS OF ANY KIND OF CRAZY EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN HOUSTON, BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN ABOVE OR BELOW GROUND, THAT THE KITS ARE PROTECTED.
UM, AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM YOU SEE, UM, ONE SIDE OF OUR FREEZER ROOM, SO YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL, UM, FREEZERS.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE PLAN WHAT YOU, MOST OF THE FREEZERS YOU SEE ARE FOR EXTRACTS CREATED IN THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY LAB AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OR MORE, UM, LIKE TRUNK FREEZERS, THAT THAT'S WHERE THE EVIDENCE THAT NEEDS TO STAY FROZEN OUT OF THE GIANT WALK-IN FREEZER WILL GO EVENTUALLY.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW LONG YOU HOLD SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS? BECAUSE THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING, I THOUGHT 40 YEARS.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME CHALLENGES WHEN YOU GET TO THE 40 YEARS BECAUSE IT'S A VERY TALL BAR OF BEING ABLE TO CONTACT THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
YOU HAVE TO CONTACT THE, UM, POSSIBLE DEFENSE.
THE BIG ONE IS YOU'RE SUPPOSED YOU HAVE TO CONTACT THE COMPLAINANT.
AND WE HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATION LIKE EVEN AT THE STATE TASK FORCE LEVEL ABOUT THAT LEGISLATION, UM, BECAUSE IT ISN'T VERY SURVIVOR CENTERED THAT 40 YEARS AFTER AN INCIDENT YOU WOULD COLD CALL A SURVIVOR TO D DETERMINE IF YOU COULD, UM, D GET RID OF THE KIT OR NOT.
BUT IT ALSO IS SETTING UP A VERY, UM, TOUGH SITUATION FOR ANYBODY STORING SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
WE GET A THOUSAND TO 1200 A YEAR AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 30,000.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE IT JUST KEEPS GROWING.
UM, THE NUMBER RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, I THINK IT'S LESS THAN A HUNDRED THAT ARE OVER 40 YEARS OLD.
UM, BUT IT'S GONNA KEEP GROWING AS WE HIT THOSE YEARS.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO START RAISING THE RED FLAG OF, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT LEGISLATION AND LOOK AT WHAT MAKES PRACTICAL SURVIVOR-CENTERED SENSE FOR HOW WE LONG-TERM STORE SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
UM, AND SOME OF THAT EDUCATION MAY BE AROUND WHAT IS ALL TESTED OUT OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT FROM
[00:25:01]
THE VERY GET GO, BECAUSE IT MAY BE EVEN THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO STORE THE KIT, BUT WE STILL HAVE ALL OF THOSE EXTRACTS IN THE FREEZERS TO GO BACK TO.SO I THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO START BEING HAD BEFORE MORE PEOPLE RUN OUT OF ROOM.
I THINK WE'VE JUST, IN THE, OUR CURRENT SETUP, WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE YEARS BEFORE WE'RE GONNA BE RUNNING OUT A ROOM OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT THE KITS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THE CONVERSATION IS BECOMING MORE ESSENTIAL.
AND I'D IMAGINE EVERYBODY ACROSS TEXAS WHO IS STORING KITS IS GONNA RUN INTO THAT.
AND THIS, THIS MIGHT BE BETTER DIRECTED TO TEQUILA, BUT, UM, NEW, I'M NEW ON THE BOARD SO I I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH, UM, HOW, HOW HFSC INTERACTS WITH THE LEGISLATURE.
THE SESSION IS COMING UP AND I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO'S, WHO'S, UM, WORKING ON THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING AND, AND REACHING OUT TO SOMEBODY TO KIND OF START TALKING ABOUT THE IDEA OF, OF MAYBE LOWERING THE NUMBER.
UM, FOR RETENTION OR, OR, OR PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES.
I DEFINITELY FOR HFSC I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AKILA AND ALSO WE'RE TRYING TO USE SOME OF LIKE THE STATE TASK FORCE AND UM, PLACES WE'RE ON THAT HAVE SOME LEGISLATIVE INFLUENCE.
'CAUSE THE STATE TASK FORCE DEFINITELY PUSHES LEGISLATION, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S ON THEIR RADAR THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM.
UM, SO WE'RE DOING IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, BUT AKILA, UM, YEAH, SURE.
SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY HFSE DOESN'T LOBBY, BUT WE CERTAINLY EDUCATE AND UM, SO, UH, WITH OUR NEW SORT OF STRUCTURE AROUND GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MY ROLE AS DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND DR.
STOUT'S ROLE, UM, AS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO, UM, WE'RE BOTH ACTIVE IN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH LEGISLATORS AND, AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE SYSTEM WHO, UM, MAY HAVE SOME INFLUENCE OVER THESE CONVERSATIONS.
SO WE THINK ABOUT THAT STRATEGICALLY AND LONG TERM EVEN DURING, YOU KNOW, THE OFF YEARS.
UM, SO WE'VE CERTAINLY HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE, UH, AROUND EVIDENCE STORAGE, NOT JUST WITH THE SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS, BUT OTHER ISSUES THAT WE'VE ENCOUNTERED.
AND SO, UH, WE DO THAT ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS INVOLVED, WE DO THAT, UH, AT CONGRESS.
AND SO WE, WE TRY TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THOSE ISSUES AND BE AT THE FOREFRONT AND BE PROACTIVE OF BRINGING THESE IDEAS AND CONVERSATIONS.
LIKEWISE, DR. STOUT IS ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE TEXAS CRIME LABS ASSOCIATION AND SO HE CRIME LAB DIRECTOR ASSOCIATION.
SO HE DOES THAT AS WELL IN THAT ROLE WITH BRINGING TOGETHER IDEAS FROM OTHER LABS ABOUT THE ISSUES WE CAN ADDRESS.
AND CAN I JUST ADD SOMETHING? SO I THINK THE OTHER WAY IN TERMS OF JUST COLLECTING INFORMATION OR COLLECTING UM, JUST DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IS THROUGH OUR SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE TEAM.
SO IN HARRIS COUNTY WE HAVE A SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE TEAM, AND THE LAB IS VERY MUCH A PART OF IT, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES RAPE CRISIS CENTERS.
SO THESE ARE CENTERS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER THAT PROVIDE SERVICES TO SURVIVORS, ALSO LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTION.
AND SO THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN THAT TYPE OF SETTING THAT THEN HELPS INFORM, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATION.
SO NOT JUST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE LAB, BUT ALSO PERSPECTIVES OF EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT AND, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, DR. STOUT AND AMY ALSO WORK WITH THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT THAT ALSO HELPS WITH THE LEGISLATION AROUND SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN OUR STATE.
UM, WHEN WE GOT THE EXTRA SPACE IN THE BASEMENT FOR THE PROPERTY, WE ACTUALLY ALSO GAINED SOME SPACE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE, UM, ROOM THAT OUR CRIME SCENE UNIT USES WHEN THEY BRING EVIDENCE BACK FROM SCENES TO PROCESS DRY PACKAGE TO GO TO THE PROPERTY ROOM.
UM, I THINK MOST OF Y'ALL HAVE TOURED AT SOME POINT.
THE SPACE USED TO BE, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE THE SIZE OF THIS U
UM, AND NOW THIS IS THEIR NEW SPACE AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT THEY, UM, HAVE THAT IT'S MUCH MORE CONDUCIVE TO BEING ABLE TO GET THE WORK DONE.
THEY EVEN WERE ABLE TO BUILD A SHOWER AND A BATHROOM FOR THEM, WHICH IF YOU CAN IMAGINE A CRIME SCENE IN HOUSTON THAN HAVING TO COME BACK TO WORK FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND WRITE A REPORT.
SO IT'S JUST OFFERED SOME, UM, GREAT WAYS TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT BETTER FOR A CRIME SCENE UNIT.
AND THEN WE DID GIVE AN UPDATE ON LAB OPERATIONS, MAINLY ON OUR BACKLOGS.
UM, WE'RE STILL REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY BACKLOG IS.
THIS IS THE DATA THAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING.
IT HAS CHANGED A LITTLE SINCE THEN.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE DOWN TO, WHEN I CHECKED EARLIER THIS WEEK, FIVE SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS OVER 90 DAYS.
UM, WE DO TEND TO SEE THAT GO UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BECAUSE WE'RE OUTSOURCING SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
SO EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, DEPENDING ON WHEN WE GET A SHIPMENT OF REPORTS BACK FROM THE LAB, THE OVER 90 MIGHT BUMP UP A LITTLE, BUT WE TEND TO SEE IT COME RIGHT BACK DOWN AS SOON AS WE GET THOSE REPORTS ISSUED.
UM, WE DID SEE A LITTLE UPTICK IN THE OVERALL DNA BACKLOG A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
OF ALL THINGS WE HAD AN AUTOCLAVE BREAK.
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DON'T EXPECT THOSE TO BREAK VERY OFTEN.WE ACTUALLY GOT IT REPLACED REALLY QUICKLY AND THE COMPANY SENT US A LEMON, WHICH ALSO YOU DON'T EXPECT VERY OFTEN.
AND IT TOOK ABOUT TWO WEEKS UNFORTUNATELY, TO GET THAT COMPANY TO SEND US A NEW ONE.
AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT REALLY HURTS US BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T AUTOCLAVE THE UM, MATERIALS YOU NEED, YOU CAN'T BE DOING WORK IN THE LAB.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE YOU SEE THAT BUMP UP AND IT WILL TAKE, IT TAKES US TIME TO RECOVER FROM THOSE THINGS.
AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT NUMBER COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE, UM, WE'RE NOT WORRIED AT THE MOMENT.
WE'RE STILL REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF THE SECTION AND ALL THE WORK THEY'VE DONE TO GET TO THAT POINT.
UM, DRUGS HAS ALSO COME DOWN MORE AT THIS TIME.
WHEN I CHECKED THIS EARLIER THIS WEEK, THAT ONE AS WELL, IT WAS UNDER 800 FOR THE BACK, THE NON MARIJUANA BACKLOG AND SEIZE DRUGS.
SO WE'RE STILL MAKING PROGRESS ON THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE THREE NEW ANALYSTS IN TRAINING THAT WE EXPECT TO HAVE SIGNED OFF PROBABLY AROUND THE END OF THE YEAR, BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.
AND AT THAT POINT, SEIZE DRUGS WILL BE, AGAIN, FULLY STAFFED, WHICH IT HAS NOT BEEN FULLY STAFFED SINCE TOWARDS THE END OF COVID WHEN WE LOST QUITE A FEW PEOPLE FROM THAT SECTION.
UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO GET TO THAT POINT AND WE EXPECT TO SEE THAT BACKLOG CONTINUE TO SLOWLY GO BACK DOWN AND BE BACK UNDER CONTROL.
FIREARMS IS STILL A CHALLENGE.
IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CHALLENGE.
THAT IS THE ONE THAT HAS GONE UP SINCE WE DID THIS GRAPH.
NOT BY A LOT, UM, BUT IT'S IN THE AROUND 4 50, 4 53.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME EXCITING NEWS.
WE'VE, WE GOT OUR CONTRACT EXECUTED FOR OUR NEXT ROUND OF EXTERNAL TRAINING.
WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, GETTING START DATES FOR OUR NEXT FOUR TRAINEES THAT WILL GO INTO TRAINING.
THE MOST EXCITING THOUGH IS OUT OF THAT RECRUITING PROCESS, WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO EXPERIENCED FIREARMS EXAMINERS, UM, ACCEPT POSITIONS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE STARTING IN AUGUST.
THAT REDUCES THE TRAINING TIME FROM TWO YEARS TO SIX MONTHS.
UM, WHAT WE ANTICIPATE IS PROBABLY LIKE JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR ACTUALLY GROWING OUR FIREARM STAFF FROM TWO FULL-TIME TO TH TO FIVE, WHICH WE STILL NEED WAY MORE THAN THAT, BUT FOR THE SECTION GOING FROM TWO TO FIVE IS A REALLY BIG DEAL.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PROGRESS.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED THAT'S GONNA HELP US IS DONNA, THE SENIOR MANAGER.
SHE'S ON THE, UM, LICENSING COMMITTEE FOR THE STATE.
AND THERE IS A RULE IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE THE NECESSARY CLASSWORK FOR THE LICENSE OR THE NECESSARY DEGREE, THERE'S A FIVE YEAR, LIKE IF THEY'VE BEEN IN THE FIELD FOR FIVE YEARS, THEY CAN HAVE A WAIVER.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION IN FIREARMS IF, IF FIVE YEARS WAS NECESSARY VERSUS THREE, THEY DECIDED THREE WAS SUFFICIENT.
AND WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE ONE PERSON WHO IS IMPACTED BY THAT, THAT HE'S ON A, HE'S ON LEAVE RIGHT NOW, BUT AS SOON AS HE COMES BACK WE'LL BE QUALIFIED TO GO AHEAD AND GET SIGNED OFF THE REST OF THE WAY.
SO THAT ALSO BUMPS SOMEBODY UP QUITE A BIT THAT WE HAD IN THE PIPELINE TO, UM, GET ONLINE.
SO WE ARE STRUGGLING AT THE MOMENT AND WE'LL CONTINUE, BUT WE'RE GETTING SOME, SOME LITTLE RAYS OF LIGHT AND UM, HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET UP TO THE CAPACITY WE NEED.
AND THEN, UM, WE WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE EXCITING THINGS THAT ARE COMING OUR WAY.
ONE IS THE 3D CRIME SCENE MAPPING, WHICH, UM, PETER HAS TALKED ABOUT WITH THE BOARD.
IT'S WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE REAL ESTATE ONLINE.
THE CRIME SCENE ACTUALLY WENT LIVE WITH IT LAST MONTH.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THAT IN THE PIPELINE AND BE STARTING TO USE THAT TO MAP THE CRIME SCENES.
THE OTHER BIG ONE IS RAPID DNA, WHICH YOU WILL HEAR A LOT ABOUT FROM JACKIE AS WELL BECAUSE OUR SCOPE EXPANSION IS NEXT WEEK.
UM, SO I FEEL LIKE QUALITY AND BIOLOGY HAVE A LOT ON THEIR PLATES AT THE MOMENT.
AND COURTNEY'S HERE TOO IN CASE THERE'S ANY MORE, UM, IN DEPTH QUESTIONS.
BUT BASICALLY RAPID DNA, THE WAY WE'RE BRINGING IT ONLINE RIGHT NOW, IT'S ONLY FOR REFERENCES.
UM, THE RAPID DNA INSTRUMENT, IT CAN PROVIDE YOU A DNA PROFILE IN A MATTER OF HOURS VERSUS THE DAYS THAT NORMALLY TAKES, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN ONLY INTERPRET SINGLE SOURCE OFF OF IT.
UM, SO THERE'S STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND REGULATIONS THAT NEED TO BE PUT IN PLACE BEFORE WE COULD RUN EVIDENCE ON IT.
UM, 'CAUSE YOU CAN IMAGINE AT LEAST WITH A BUCCAL SWAB, IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, YOU CAN EITHER CUT IT AGAIN OR YOU CAN GO GET ANOTHER BUCCAL SWAB.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A PIECE OF EVIDENCE AND YOU PUT IT ON A MACHINE AND SOMETHING, IF IT CAN'T BE USED, HOW IT NEEDS TO BE USED, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
'CAUSE YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET MORE OF THAT EVIDENCE.
SO RIGHT NOW THE FOCUS IS ON BRINGING IT ONLINE JUST FOR REFERENCE SAMPLES.
WHERE THIS COMES INTO PLAY IS MAINLY ON VERY HIGH PRIORITY CASES.
SO SAY WE ALREADY HAD UH, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT THAT WE HAD RUN AND WE HADN'T DEVELOPED A SUSPECT, BUT THERE WAS A PROFILE AND THERE'S A SERIAL, THEY'RE CONCERNED THERE'S A SERIAL, UM, RAPIST, RIGHT? AND THEY, BUT THEY, THEY FIND SOMEBODY AND THEY'RE LIKE, MAYBE THIS IS THE PERSON.
HOW CAN WE TEST IT IF THEY COLLECT THAT SWAB AND WE CAN HAVE THAT PROFILE IN A COUPLE OF HOURS VERSUS GOING THROUGH THE DAYS LONG PROCESS, WE CAN HELP THE JUSTICE SYSTEM MOVE FASTER OR, YOU KNOW, AND HELP PUBLIC SAFETY SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN ARREST THAT PERSON OR NOT.
[00:35:01]
SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING ON USING IT RIGHT NOW.THE OTHER PIECE, SORRY TO THROW IN THERE, WHY THAT FOCUS IS, IT'S MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN NORMAL PROCESSING.
IF YOU WERE JUST TO LOOK AT THE CONSUMABLES WE USE TO RUN A SAMPLE ON THE RAPID DNA INSTRUMENT, IT'S $250 A SAMPLE.
NORMALLY IT'S ABOUT $30 A SAMPLE WHEN WE DO IT IN OUR NORMAL BATCH PROCESSING.
SO THAT'S ALSO WHY IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY EXCITING TO HAVE.
UM, AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT ALL THE REASONS WHY, BUT WE HAVE TO USE IT JUDICIOUSLY AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, BUT THAT IS COMING THIS MONTH.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE YST COMING ONLINE, BACK ONLINE IN SEPTEMBER.
SO YST ARE USED WHEN YOU REALLY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ENOUGH DNA TO HAVE A FULL STR MALE PROFILE, BUT THEY HAVE A SUSPECT TO COMPARE TO.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN DO YST, IT'S NOT QUITE AS PROBATIVE 'CAUSE THE MALE LINES ALL SHARE THE SAME YSTR PROFILE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE FINDING OUT IS IT WAS THE SAME YSTR PROFILE FOR THAT MALE LINE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IF WHICH BROTHER IT WAS.
UM, BUT IT CAN STILL REALLY BE HELPFUL AND IT IS A REQUIRED, UM, PART OF THE PROCESS FOR FORENSIC GENETIC GENEALOGY.
SO WE'RE GETTING A HIGHER NUMBER OF REQUESTS TO DO THAT WORK.
SO WE ARE BRINGING IT BACK ONLINE IN-HOUSE.
AND THAT ALL HAPPENED IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE, THERE ARE A, THERE'S A STATE WORKING GROUP.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK BEING PUT INTO EVENTUALLY BEING ABLE TO USE RAPID DNA FOR AN EVIDENTIARY SAMPLE.
WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IS LIKE A BLOOD SAMPLE FROM A SCENE WHEN WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT IT WOULD BE SINGLE SOURCE.
UM, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK BEING DONE ON REGULATIONS AROUND THAT BEFORE IT WOULD COME ONLINE.
AND THEN ALSO Y'ALL HAVE, UM, APPROVED THESE CONTRACTS THROUGH THE YEARS, UM, OR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS FOR OUR L-L-C-Q-T-O-F SYSTEMS. WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE COMING ONLINE IN TOXICOLOGY FOR SCREENING AND ALSO IN SEIZES DRUGS.
AND WHAT THESE ARE REALLY GONNA HELP US WITH IS BEING ABLE TO MORE EFFICIENTLY SCREEN FOR ALL THE LIKE, GAZILLIONS OF DRUGS,
UNLIKE WHAT IT USED TO BE WHEN WE STARTED IN THE PROCESS, UM, FOR BOTH SECTIONS.
THESE, THIS IS A VERY NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, SO IT IS GONNA TAKE A WHILE, UM, NOT JUST TO VALIDATE IT BUT TO MAKE SURE THE STAFF ARE FULLY TRAINED AND ABLE TO TESTIFY TO IT.
SO THOSE ARE EXCITING THINGS THAT ARE COMING.
AND THEN THESE ARE JUST SOME PICTURES OF, THAT'S THE, UM, THE RAPID DNA INSTRUMENT, THE THE BLACK INSTRUMENT, Y'ALL, I'M SORRY, RIGHT AND LEFT WHEN I'M HERE AND IT'S OVER THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S THE BLACK INSTRUMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THAT, UM, THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE, THE LCQ TO F THAT I WAS MENTIONING ON THE OTHER SIDE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK BIG, BUT IT WILL MAKE A LAB 95 DEGREES WE'VE LEARNED.
AND THAT IS EVERYTHING FOR ME.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GREAT.
DR. CASTILLO REALLY INFORMATIVE.
THE DNA PART I THINK, UH, IS JUST SO EXCITING.
HOW MUCH DOES THAT MACHINE COST? HOW MUCH? COURTNEY? LIKE 200.
AND WE DO HAVE TWO OF THEM NOW.
UM, SO YES, BUT, AND ONE OF THEM WAS GRANT FUNDED I BELIEVE, OR NO, WE LEASED ONE.
THEY WERE BOTH HFSC FOR A WHILE.
WE COULDN'T USE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO BE END DISAPPROVED, WHICH IS CODIS.
THEY NEEDED TO BE CODIS APPROVED BEFORE YOU COULD USE THOSE FUNDS.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY QUE DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, A FUND.
UH, MEMBERS YOU RECEIVED A SUMMARY SHEET AND INFORMATION REGARDING THE VER STAT TERM IS TERM VERS TERM VER A TERM.
SEE I KEEP THINKING MAX FOR STA AND F1 WHEN I THINK OF THAT.
SO THIS IS NOT F1, THIS IS A MACHINE AND, UM, WE'RE SEEKING APPROVAL TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT FOR PAYMENT OF THE JUSTICE TRACKS SUBSCRIPTION ANNUAL RENEWAL FOR THE TERM JUNE 1, 26 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2027.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE SERVICE IS $337,112 AND 28 CENTS.
IF APPROVED, HFSC WILL CONTINUE THE AGREEMENT FOR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES AND MAINTENANCE PROVIDED BY FOR STAFF PER TERM, VER TERM, VERS TERM, VERS TERM, UH, DR.
QUI OR MS. MANZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO ADD? SURE.
SO BASICALLY, UM, VERS TERM RUNS OUR JUSTICE TRACK SYSTEM.
THAT IS OUR LABORATORY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
SO IT'S THE SYSTEM WE USE TO ISSUE ALL OF OUR REPORTS, GET ALL OF THE DATA ABOUT THE REPORTS OUT.
UM, SO THAT IS JUST TO CONTINUE BEING ABLE TO USE AND UPGRADE AND MODIFY THAT SYSTEM.
UM, AND JUST AS A SHOUT OUT, DR.
I FEEL LIKE R AND D KIND OF WORKS QUIETLY IN THE BACKGROUND.
UM, THE AMOUNT OF WORK THEY PUT INTO THAT SYSTEM TO KEEP IT RUNNING FOR US IS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
UM, AND IF THERE'S ANY DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, SHE'LL BE THE BEST ONE TO TO ANSWER THAT.
[00:40:01]
THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE'LL NOW HAVE A VOICE VOTE TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT BETWEEN VER TERM.AND THE CORPORATION FOR JUSTICE TRACK SUBSCRIPTION AND LABORATORY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT MAINTENANCE, TOTAL BUDGET NOT TO EXCEED $337,128 AND 28.
YOU KNOW THAT, REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A KID AND YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO SAY ALL THOSE LONG NUMBERS AND WHAT THAT WAS, THAT'S WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH MY MIND IS BOY, I HOPE THAT THIRD GRADE COMES BACK TO ME AND TO AUTHORIZE DR.
STAT TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON THE BOARD'S BEHALF.
MEMBERS, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED? MOTION? THANK YOU.
UM, I BELIEVE I HEARD FROM DIRECTOR SILVERMAN AND DIRECTOR CORRALES.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE A VOICE VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR? OH, UN UNMUTE YOUR MICS.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY THE MOTION.
WE'LL PROCEED TO ITEM NUMBER 10, UH, TO MS. JACKIE MORALE WHO WILL GIVE US A REPORT ON QUALITY.
SO, AS DR. CASTILLO MENTIONED, UH, PREVIOUSLY, MY REPORT OR MY BIG QUALITY UPDATE IS GOING TO BE REVOLVING ONLY ON RAPID DNA.
UH, THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE NEXT WEEK, MAY 11TH AND THE 12TH, WE HAVE OUR RAPID DNA SCOPE EXTENSION SCHEDULED, UH, WHERE A AND A B, OUR ACCREDITING BODY IS GOING TO COME AND AUDIT US IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE FULFILLING ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS AND FOR US TO ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THE SERVICE UNDER OUR ACCREDITATION UMBRELLA.
NOW, ALTHOUGH WE ARE ALREADY AN ACCREDITED LABORATORY, UM, A AND EB TYPICALLY WANTS TO ISSUE THE PRETTY CERTIFICATES AT TESTING THAT YOU ARE ACCREDITED.
IT ALSO COMES ATTACHED WITH A SCOPE OF ACCREDITATION, WHICH IS BASICALLY A LIST THAT OUTLINES THE DISCIPLINES AND THE DIFFERENT INSTRUMENT AND TERM, UM, METHODOLOGY THAT YOU ARE ACCREDITED OR THAT YOU HAVE THE ACCREDITATION UMBRELLA AND YOU CAN OFFER THOSE SERVER SERVICES UNDER THAT, RIGHT? SO WHENEVER YOU ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT A NEW INSTRUMENTAL METHODOLOGY LIKE RAPID DNA, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS AND DEMONSTRATE TO A NAB, ENTER A STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE ARE COMPLYING WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED, UH, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THEM UNDER THIS SCOPE OF ACCREDITATION, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE THAT SCHEDULED NEXT MONDAY.
AND IN ANOTHER REASON WHY WE NEED TO CONDUCT THIS IS BECAUSE WE ARE HERE IN TEXAS AND TEXAS, WE HAVE THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN DISCIPLINES SPECIFICALLY LIKE, UM, FORENSIC BIOLOGY AND RAPID DNA, WHERE OUR LABORATORY NEEDS TO BE ACCREDITED IN ORDER FOR OUR ANALYSIS TO BE ACCEPTABLE IN A COURT OR ADMISSIBLE IN A COURT OF LAW HERE IN TEXAS.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE THREE REASONS WHY WE ARE CONDUCTING AND HAVE THIS SCHEDULED.
NOW, BEFORE I KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH ALL OF THE PREPARATION THAT THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY AND THE QUALITY DIVISION HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO GET TO THIS MOMENT, I KIND OF WANTED TO SHIFT AND SORT OF WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT IS RAPID DNA, RIGHT? SO RAPID DNA, AS MY SLIDES MENTIONS, IT'S A HANDS-FREE, FULLY AUTOMATED PROCESS WHERE YOU DEVELOP A DNA PROFILE FROM INSERTING A EITHER A REFERENCE OR A CRIME SCENE SAMPLE.
SO A LOT OF WAYS THIS PROCESS IS USUALLY, UM, DESCRIBED IN IS SWAB IN PROFILE OUT.
AND SO BEFORE I KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH THE ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, UM, THE VAL, THE VALIDATIONS COORDINATOR GRACIOUSLY ALLOWED ME TO FILM HIM DOING A PERFORMANCE CHECK OF THE RAPID DNA.
SO I, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A VIDEO SHOWING YOU HOW THIS INSTRUMENT WORKS BEFORE WE KIND OF GO AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT
SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY VIDEO, UM, IN THIS INSTANCE, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BLANK SWAB, BUT JUST IMAGINE THAT THIS IS A, FOR EXAMPLE, A REFERENCE SAMPLE SWAB THAT'S INSERTED INTO THIS SAMPLE, UH, CARTRIDGE WHERE THIS CARTRIDGE ALREADY HAS ALL OF THE REQUIRED REAGENTS.
SO YOU JUST INSERT YOUR SWAB, CLOSE IT, AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE VIDEO, HE IS GOING TO INSERT THAT INTO WHAT BEHIND HIM IS THE RAPID DNA, UM, INSTRUMENTATION.
NOW, THIS INSTRUMENT, AS MENTIONED, IS FULLY AUTOMATED RIGHT
[00:45:01]
INSIDE THAT INSTRUMENT FROM THAT SWAB THERE.UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO UNDERGO THROUGH EXTRACTION, QUANTIFICATION, AMPLIFICATION, THE DN A'S GONNA BE SEPARATED OUT, AND YOU'RE GONNA GET A, IN, IN YOUR END PRODUCT, YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR DNA PROFILE OUT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VALIDATION COORDINATOR IS NOW ENTERING THE, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIFICS OR WHAT THEY WOULD ENTER THE SPECIFICS OF THE CASE.
IN THIS CASE, IT'S JUST A PERFORMANCE CHECK.
AND THEN ONCE THEY SET THAT UP IN THE INSTRUMENT, THEY'LL JUST, UM, RUN THE SAMPLE AND IT'LL RUN IT BY ITSELF.
AND YOU SEE IT'S 109 MINUTES BEFORE THAT PROFILE, UM, OR THAT PERFORMANCE CHECK IS CREATED.
NOW, THIS SEEMS AMAZING, RIGHT? AND MAYBE ONE OF THE THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS THAT'S COMING THROUGH YOUR HEAD IS, WHY AREN'T WE USING THIS TO REPLACE OUR TRADITIONAL LAB WORKFLOW, RIGHT? SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY SPEED HAS LIMITATIONS.
AND ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS FOR THIS RAPID DNA INSTRUMENT IS THAT WE CAN, AS YOU SAW FROM MY VIDEO, YOU CAN ONLY PROCESS ONE SAMPLE AT A TIME.
TRADITIONAL WORKFLOW, WE'RE ABLE TO PROCESS, UM, MULTIPLE OF SAMPLES WITHIN A CASE OR VARIOUS CASES THROUGH BATCH PROCESSING, RIGHT? SO THE BATCH TRADITIONAL WORKFLOW, AS DR. CASTILLO MENTIONED, IS VERY COST EFFICIENT.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S COST EFFECTIVE AND IT'S VERY EFFICIENT FOR OUR WORKFLOW BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO PROCESS AND HAVE ALL THE VARIABLES OF, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT PROFILES FROM THESE CASES RIGHT? NOW, UM, ANOTHER KEY LIMITATION THAT IS VERY CRUCIAL IS THAT IT CAN ONLY PROCESS ONE SAMPLE AT A TIME, BUT IT ONLY CAN ONLY DO SO FROM SAMPLES THAT ARE SINGLE SOURCE, RIGHT? WHAT DOES SINGLE SOURCE MEAN? IT MEANS THAT THE SWAB OR, YOU KNOW, CAN ONLY BE, OR THE DNA CAN ONLY BE FROM ONE INDIVIDUAL.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THAT IS NOT THE REALITY OF SAMPLES THAT YOU TYPICALLY GET FROM CRIMES OR SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS, RIGHT? YOU GET DIFFERENT MIXTURES.
AND THAT'S WHY, AND WE'RE ABLE TO DEDUCE AND SEPARATE THE MIXTURES THROUGH A TRADITIONAL LAB WORKFLOW, RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW, GIVEN OR ME TELLING YOU ABOUT THESE LIMITATIONS, RIGHT, IS WE WANNA HAVE AN ALTERNATE WORKFLOW, WHICH IS VERY QUICK, WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR CASE SENSITIVE, UH, FOR TIME SENSITIVE CASES SUCH AS DR. CASTILLO KIND OF MENTIONED.
LET'S SAY, UM, AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, MAYBE THE INVESTIGATOR OR THE DAS HAVE, HAVE APPREHENDED A SUSPECT.
AND WHILE WE HAVE ALREADY CONDUCTED ALL OF OUR CASE WORK, RIGHT, THROUGH A TRADITIONAL LAB WORKFLOW, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S LIKE, WAS THIS THE UNKNOWN PROFILE THAT WE DETECTED THROUGH THAT CASE, RIGHT? UM, AND THEY APPREHEND THE SUSPECT.
THERE ARE HOLDING WINDOWS, RIGHT? THERE'S USUALLY HOLDING WINDOWS WHEN YOU APPREHEND SOMEBODY.
AND THIS WOULD BE, UM, FROM THAT REFERENCE SAMPLE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE RAPID DNA TO GET QUICK RESULTS WHETHER TO, UM, TO HELP IN THE INVESTIGATION OR FOR, TO ELIMINATE THE SUSPECT, RIGHT? THERE'S NO REASON FOR THEM TO BE APPREHENDED, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN BE QUICKLY ELIMINATED FROM.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS SERVICE TO BE ABLE TO HELP OUT IN THIS CASE SENSITIVE, UM, TIME SENSITIVE CASES AS A MEANS TO HELP OUT OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
NOW LET ME JUMP BACK INTO THE SCOPE EXTENSION, RIGHT? I KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A TIMELINE OF ALL OF THE BEHIND THE SCENES PREPARATION THAT THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY HAD TO DO, UM, DR. CASTILLO AND DR. STOUT AND ALSO THE QUALITY DIVISION.
SO FIRST THINGS FIRST, UM, WHENEVER WE ARE GONNA IMPLEMENT A NEW TECH, UH, TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE THIS INSTRUMENTATIONS ARE ALWAYS REALLY EXPENSIVE, WE HAVE TO FIND THE FUNDING.
AND THAT'S WHERE DR. STOUT AND DR. CASTILLO CAME AND THEY HAD TO FIND THE FUNDING AND THEY ALSO HAD TO PRESENT THIS TO THE BOARD.
SO BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2020, UH, THE BOARD GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED AND SAW THE POTENTIALS OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND APPROVE THE ACQUISITION OF THIS INSTRUMENTATION, RIGHT? AND WHILE THAT WAS IN DECEMBER, THERE'S A LOT OF A LOT OF LENGTHY PROCESS WHEN WE ACQUIRED NEW INSTRUMENTATION, THERE'S CONTRACTS, UM, THERE'S RFP OR YOU KNOW, REQUESTS FOR, UH, PURCHASES PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERGO BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE INSTRUMENT UNDER THE BENCH IN OUR LABORATORY.
ONCE ALL OF THAT IS COMPLETED, THEN THE NEXT PHASE STARTS, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO TEST THE METHOD AND THE INSTRUMENT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IS THIS REPRODUCIBLE.
UM, YOU HAVE TO VALIDATE IT, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS AROUND THIS? HOW CAN YOU TROUBLESHOOT IT? YOU BASICALLY LEARN THE INS AND OUTS OF THE INSTRUMENT AND THE METHODOLOGY YOU'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU USE SAMPLES AND RUN IN THEM, RUN THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE FIT FOR THE INTENDED USE.
SO IN THIS CASE, UM, THIS PROCESS OR THIS VALIDATION
[00:50:01]
STUDY WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE BECAUSE THIS IS A NEW TECHNOLOGY, RIGHT? IN FACT, THAT VALIDATION STUDY IS 142 PAGES LONG, JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF HOW LONG AND HOW INTENSE THIS VALIDATION WAS.UM, NEXT STEP IS ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR METHOD VALIDATED AND INSTRUMENTATION, NOW YOU HAVE TO TRANSPOSE THAT AND SET AND WRITE A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S OUR, OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.
SO WE HAVE TO SORT OF, UH, TRANSFIX THOSE AND TRANSPOSE THOSE INTO A PROCEDURE WHERE YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES ARE CONSISTENT AND THEY'RE LEGIBLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE BY STAFF MEMBERS, RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANALYST A OR B OR C READS THIS, THEY UNDERSTAND AND THEY'RE ABLE TO EXECUTE, WHETHER IT'S THE TROUBLESHOOTING OR THE GUIDANCE OF HOW TO OPERATE THE INSTRUMENT.
NOW, THAT KIND OF SEGUES INTO THE TRAINING PROGRAM, RIGHT? YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A VERY WELL AND ROBUST TRAINING PROGRAM WHERE YOU ARE EQUIPPING THE STAFF MEMBERS, UH, THE DESIGNATED STAFF MEMBERS WITH ALL OF THE MATERIAL THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO TESTIFY IN A COURT OF LAW, BUT ALSO TO EITHER TO OPERATE IT OR TO INTERPRET THE DNA UH, PROFILE IS, UM, BEING, UM, INSTILLED, RIGHT? SO, UM, AFTER THAT, THAT WE, AFTER THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY SECTION DESIGNATED PERSONNEL TO UNDERGO THROUGH THIS TRAINING, NOW YOU HAVE TO INCORPORATE AND TRAIN THIS PEOPLE.
UM, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS BEHIND ACCREDITATION IS INVARIABLY OF WHATEVER TRAINING PROGRAM YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO SATISFACTORILY PASS A COMP COMPETENCY TEST.
THAT'S BASICALLY A PRACTICAL, IN ESSENCE A PRACTICAL EXAM THAT SHOWS AND DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO THIS IN A PRACTICAL MANNER OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IN CASE WORK, RIGHT? SO THE NEXT STEP FOR THIS ONE IS MOCK CASE WORK AND PROFICIENCY TEST.
SO AS I MENTIONED IN MY FIRST SLIDE HERE IN TEXAS, WE CAN'T PROCESS UNDER DISCIPLINES THAT REQUIRE, UM, ACCREDITATION.
WE CAN'T PROCESS CASE WORK WITHOUT THE ACCREDITATION UMBRELLA, UM, BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT GONNA BE ADMISSIBLE IN A COURT OF LAW.
SO WHAT WE DO, WHERE THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY HAD TO DO, THEY HAD TO CREATE FAKE CASES TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW THEY'RE GONNA BE TREATING THESE CASES.
ONCE WE GET THE ACCREDITATION, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET THE, THE ACCREDITATION IN THIS DISCIPLINE, RIGHT? AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN A A B COMES AND THEY AUDIT YOU, THEY'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT RECORDS TO SHOW, UM, EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE TO ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT YOUR EVIDENCE HANDLING.
ARE YOU FOLLOWING YOUR CHAIN OF CUSTODY? INTERNAL TRANSFERS, ARE THOSE BEING DOCUMENTED? UM, THERE'S A PLETHORA OF DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FOR REPORTS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THOSE IN THE REPORT.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE, THAT'S GONNA BE ISSUED AND, UM, SENT OUT TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING, ARE WE DOING TECHNICAL REVIEWS? DOES EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING HERE IN THIS CASE OR THIS MOCK CASE WORK, UM, ARE YOU FOLLOWING YOUR PROCEDURE OR WHATNOT? SO AGAIN, IT'S ALL OF THIS STUFF JUST TO SHOW THE EVIDENCE THAT WE'RE COMPLYING.
IN ADDITION TO THIS, ANOTHER REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE TO DO BEFORE ANY SCOPE EXTENSION IS THAT WE SET HAVE TO SATISFACTORILY COMPLETE A PROFICIENCY TEST.
NOW, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ALREADY VALIDATED OUR METHOD.
WE RUN SAMPLES, WE DID MOCK CASE WORK, RIGHT? BUT WE NEED TO SHOW A NAB AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE ARE GETTING THE SATISFACTORY ANSWERS OR ACCURATE ANSWERS, UM, BY BUYING PROFICIENCY TESTS FROM AN EXTERNAL VENDOR, RIGHT? ARE WE GETTING THE SAME ANSWER AS THE GROUND TRUTH FROM THAT PROFICIENCY TEST PROVIDER, RIGHT? AND WE DID TWO OF THOSE AND BOTH OF THEM WERE SATISFACTORY.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS BEHIND WHY WE HAVE TO COMPLETE THIS BEFORE ANY SCOPE EXTENSION.
AND THEN FINALLY WE GET TO DO THE SCOPE EXTENSION, WHICH IS THE TWO DAY VIRTUAL ASSESSMENT.
AND THIS IS WHILE THE SCOPE EXTENSION IS GONNA SOLELY FOCUS ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THINGS, JUST TO KINDA GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE, UM, FOR THE ISO IAC 17 OH TO FIVE REQUIREMENTS, IF I WERE TO COUNT THOSE AND THE SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED PER A NAB OR A CREATING BODY, THOSE ARE A LITTLE BIT OVER 200 DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO SHOW THIS SCOPE EXTENSION.
WE'RE GONNA BE AUDITED TO 79 OF THOSE JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU THAT IT'S, WHILE IT MIGHT BE FOCUSED ON RAPID, IT IS A VERY EXTENSIVE AND THERE'S A LOT OF TIMELINES THAT THE QUALITY DIVISION HAD TO HELP FORENSIC BIOLOGY COME UP WITH A PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE REACHING ALL MILESTONES.
THEY HAD TO REVIEW ALL OF THOSE VALIDATIONS AND PAPERWORK, AND WE EVEN SCHEDULED AN INTERNAL AUDIT FOR THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY TO HAPPEN BEFORE THIS, TO HAVE ANOTHER SET OF EYES AND MAKE SURE TRIPLE CHECK THAT WE ARE READY FOR THIS MONDAY.
NOW, AS YOU CAN SEE THIS, I WISH I COULD TELL YOU, UM, SWAB IN A ACCREDITATION, UM, CERTIFICATE OUT, BUT AS THERE'S, IT'S A VERY INTRICATE PROCESS AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF ALL THE PROCESS THAT ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY AND, YOU KNOW, MY, MY BIOLOGY QUALITY SPECIALIST HAD TO DO IN WORK WORKING WITH THEM TO GET US TO THIS SPOT.
NOW I WANNA CHANGE A LITTLE BIT, CHANGE GEARS AND JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY AND LIKE
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THE LEGAL BACKGROUND OF RAPID DNA MORE NATIONWIDE AND HOW THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US.UM, SO DR. CASTILLO MENTIONS ABOUT REGULATIONS, SO I'M KIND OF GIVE GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND THAT ON THAT.
SO BACK IN 2017, UH, BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE HAVE UNITED STATES PASSED INTO LAW THE RAPID DNA ACT.
AND THIS ACT BASICALLY REQUIRES THE FBI REQUIRED THE FBI TO SET REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES TO ALLOW THE USE OF RAPID DNA INSTRUMENTATION, RIGHT? UM, FOLLOWING SUIT TO THAT DNA OR THAT REQUEST BY LAW, THE FBI AND THE FIRST STEP OR FIRST STAGE, THEY ALLOW THE ENTRY OF REFERENCE SAMPLES INTO CODIS IN 2020 SPEED AND MOVING FORWARD, UM, IN 2025, ACTUALLY IN JULY, FIRST OF LAST YEAR, 2025, THE FBI REVISED THEIR RULES AND PROCEDURES TO ALLOW THE ENTRY OF CRANE SEAM SAMPLES INTO CODIS AS LONG AS CERTAIN CRITERIA ARE MET.
AND THAT KIND OF SEGUES INTO MY NEXT SLIDE.
LET'S GO OVER THE CERTAIN CRITERIA, RIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THEY'VE REVISED IT, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME BIG BUTS.
AND I KIND OF WANTED TO KIND OF GO OVER STEP BY STEP ON THAT.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS FORENSIC EVIDENCE.
SAMPLE MUST BE PROCESSED ACCORDING TO THE FBI RULES AND REGULATIONS OF 2020 5TH OF JULY.
FOR US, THAT'S SOMETHING BECAUSE WE ALREADY UPLOAD PROFILES AND CODIS THROUGH OUR TRADITIONAL LAB WORKFLOW.
THAT'S BASICALLY A YES, WE'RE COMPLYING WITH THAT CERTAIN THAT SET OF CRITERIA.
THE NEXT ONE IS QUALIFIED LAB PERSONNEL MUST REVIEW THE RAPID DNA FORENSICS CRIME SCENE SAMPLES, CODIS, UH, SORRY, PROFILES DEVELOPED FROM CRIME SCENE SAMPLES PRIOR TO THEIR ADDITION OR THE UPLOAD INTO CODIS.
RIGHT NOW WE ALREADY HAVE A VERY ROBUST AND CEMENTED PROCESS OF UPLOADING DNA PROFILES INTO CODIS.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE SET IN PLACE.
THE NEXT THING WHERE, I KNOW IT'S IN YELLOW, BUT IT'S SHOULD BE MORE, UH, GREEN IS THE RAPID DNA INSTRUMENT MUST FALL UNDER THE 17 0 2 5 ACCREDITATION.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING OUR SCOPE EXTENSION NEXT WEEK TO GET THAT FROM YELLOW TO GREEN.
NOW THE NEXT ONE, AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST, LIKE THE BIGGEST DETERRENT RIGHT NOW, IS THAT WHILE THEY WERE THE FBI REVISED THEIR RULES AND REGULATIONS, THEY STILL HAVEN'T APPROVED THE SAMPLE CARTRIDGE TO BE USED FOR FORENSIC CASE SAMPLES, RIGHT? SO THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT, UM, MAIN MANUFACTURERS OF RAPID DNA.
THEY HAVEN'T APPROVED ANY SAMPLE CARTRIDGE LIKE THE ONE THAT I SHOWED YOU IN THE VIDEO WHERE YOU PUT THE, UH, YOU PUT YOUR SWAB OR YOUR SAMPLE IN.
THEY HAVEN'T APPROVED ANY OF THEM FOR THE USE OF CRIME SCENE SAMPLES.
THERE ARE CONTINUING ON THEIR END DOING MORE VALIDATION AND MORE STUDIES ON THEIR END BEFORE THEY'RE ACTUALLY COME OUT AND THEY GIVE YOU THE YES YOU CAN PROCEED.
SO IN PARALLEL TO THAT, IN PREPARATION FOR IT, THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY SECTION IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING AND VALIDATING THE SAMPLE CARTRIDGE FOR THE INSTRUMENTATION THAT WE'RE USING.
SO THEN WHEN THE FBI GIVES THE CLEARANCE TO UPLOAD THESE SAMPLES INTO CODIS, WE'LL ALSO HAVE THE VALIDATION AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE THAT ACCREDITATION.
SO THAT WOULD BE LIKE A REALLY QUICK FLIP THE SWITCH AND WE CAN PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
SO IT'S A LOT OF A PREPARATION AND STRATEGY INTO INCORPORATING THIS.
UM, OKAY, SO NOW THE LAST BIT.
IN ADDITION TO THIS, WHEN THE FBI UPDATED THE RULES IN JULY 1ST OF LAST YEAR, UM, OBVIOUSLY THEY ROLLED OUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAY AHEAD OF THE JULY DEADLINE, RIGHT? THEY TOLD ALL LABORATORIES THEY WERE GONNA BE IMPLEMENTING THIS, BUT THEY ALSO CALLED OUT, UM, THE STATE TO FORM WORKING GROUPS WHERE THEY COULD KIND OF, UM, TO ESTABLISH WORKING GROUPS SO THEY CAN TACKLE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FBI RULING.
SO THEY COULD KIND OF, UM, DO THEIR, LET'S SAY, RISK ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THEIR STATE.
SO WHAT THAT THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR CREATED A RAPID DNA WORKING GROUP, AND IT'S A PRETTY BIG GROUP, UM, FULL OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS THAT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT AS OF THIS TECHNOLOGY BEING INCORPORATED STATEWIDE, UH, WHETHER IT'S FOR REFERENCE OR OBVIOUSLY FOR CRIME SCENE SAMPLES.
SO THIS GROUP IS COMPRISED OF, I'VE GOTTA READ THIS 'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A BUNCH.
THERE'S TEXAS DISTRICT AND COUNTY ATTORNEY'S ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVES, TEXAS CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS, UM, ASSOCIATION, TEXAS POLICE CHIEF ASSOCIATION, SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS, TEXAS CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTORS, UH, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGERS.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES BOTH FROM A AND A B AND A TWO LA, WHICH ARE THE TWO ACCREDITING BODIES, UM, FOR, FOR THE FORENSIC WORLD.
AND THEN DET, THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND OBVIOUSLY THE TEXAS FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A PRETTY BIG GROUP FULL OF REPRESENTATIVES LOOKING AT THE VARIABLES AND OF WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF, OF IMPLEMENTING RAPID DNA.
SO OBVIOUSLY, THEIR MAIN GOALS WHEN THIS WORKING GROUP WAS ESTABLISHED WAS TO ANALYZE THE IMPLICATIONS OF IT, TO COORDINATE EFFORTS AND INTO EXPANDING THE USE OF THIS
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RAPID DNA TECHNOLOGY AS WELL TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE FORENSIC LABS, LEGAL PROFESSIONALS, AND POLICY MAKERS.SO, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT A LICENSURE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL OPERATORS, UM, WHO ARE FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE FOR THEM TO BE LICENSED.
AND THEY'RE SETTING UP THE MINIMUM CRITERIA, EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AND WHATNOT THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLETE IN ORDER TO, UM, OPERATE THE RAPID DNA.
JUST TO KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, WITH LAST YEAR, WITH LAST, YEAH, WITH LAST YEAR'S, UM, REVISION, THEY DID ALL ALLOW, ALLOW FOR THE RAPID DNAS TO BE UNDER A COMMAND OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMAND STATION, AS LONG AS THESE WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ACCREDITED LABORATORY, UM, WHERE YOU HAD TO, WITH THAT COMMAND STATION HAS TO FOLLOW ALL OF THE ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? SO AS LONG AS THAT'S COMPLIED, YOU CAN FUNCTION.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS RAPID DNA GROUP IS WORKING IS THAT THEY'RE WORKING, HOW IS THAT PARTNERSHIP GONNA LOOK? UH, THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING? AND THEY'RE ALSO SETTING UP, UM, THE CRITERIA FOR THE LICENSURE FOR THOSE RAPID OPERATORS.
BUT FOR US, UM, FOR US, THOSE, THOSE IMPLICATIONS, UM, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS SERVICE ALREADY ADDED FOR THIS SO WE CAN HAVE THIS AVAILABLE FOR THE, FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, WE ALREADY HAVE ALL OUR, OUR QUALIFIED ANALYSTS ALREADY LICENSED, RIGHT? WE ALREADY HAVE A ROBUST PROCESS SET UP FOR UPLOADING, UM, INTO CODIS.
'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE VARIABLES THAT YOU STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH THE TECHNICAL REVIEW AND THIS VERY ROBUST REVIEW, EVEN IF LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATOR HAS THIS PROFILE OUT, IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH THE LABORATORY TO BE REVIEWED.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE THAT SET IN PLACE.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE ALSO HAVING THIS, UM, WE'RE ALSO HOPING TO HAVE THIS NEXT WEEK A SERVICE ACCREDITED, SO AS A MEANS TO SERVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS BETTER.
SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? IS THERE IS THE RAPID DNA, UM, FORENSICALLY ACCEPTED IN OTHER STATES WHERE THEY CAN USE IT IN COURT? YES.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND THERE MIGHT BE OTHER STATES THAT ARE, UM, USING THIS INSTRUMENTATION AND THEY MAY HAVE DONE A STATEWIDE DATABASE.
THEY CAN'T UPLOAD INTO CODIS, BUT THAT'S, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MAYBE OTHER STATES ARE USING THIS.
BUT IN TEXAS, WE JUST WE'RE, AS YOU CAN SEE, I THINK IT'S KIND OF IRONIC THAT YOU SEE THAT THIS IS A VERY RAPID TECHNOLOGY.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THIS, IT'S WHEN YOU INCORPORATE A NEW TECHNOLOGY INTO A FORENSIC FIELD, YOU NEED TO HAVE LIKE A LOT OF VETTING AND VALIDATION AND WHATNOT.
SO JUST KIND OF LIKE, UM, BASICALLY SEGUEING HOW A NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN, HAS TAKING ITS TIME INTO BEING ACCEPTED.
SO IT'S ADMISSIBLE IN OTHER STATES THAT YOU CAN, I I DON'T THE IT IS ADMISSIBLE IN COURT.
I JUST KNOW THE SPECIFICS HERE IN TEXAS.
AND THEN AS FAR AS, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU JUST PUT IN YOUR SAMPLE AND PUSH A BUTTON AND IT ANALYZES IT.
AND SO WHAT IS THE MACHINE OR THE INSTRUMENT DOING IN COMPARISON TO THE CONVENTIONAL WAY TO, UH, DO DNA INTERNALLY? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? IT'S DOING EVERYTHING.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THE LIMITATION IS THAT IT'S, YOU CAN ONLY DO A SINGLE SOURCE SAMPLE, UHHUH.
RIGHT? AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, ANOTHER CRITERIA THAT THE DNA WORKING GROUP IS LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES ON THE COLLECTION OF THIS EVIDENCE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW, IN ORDER FOR US TO PROCESS WHETHER IT'S A REFERENCE OR IN THE FUTURE, A CRIME SCENE SAMPLE, UM, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS GONNA BE THAT YOU NEED TO SUBMIT TWO SWABS, RIGHT? SO WHEN, WHILE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS SWAB, UM, AND RAPID DNA, LET'S SAY THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ANY RESULTS, ANY VIABLE RESULTS, WE STILL HAVE ONE SWAB AVAILABLE TO GO THE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL WORKFLOW.
SO I GUESS THAT IF THE TEXAS FORENSIC COMMISSION APPROVES IT, THEN IT POTENTIALLY WOULD BE ADMISSIBLE IN COURT, RIGHT? IF THEY APPROVE IT, YES, IT WOULD BE.
AND THEN, UM, IS THE LAB PREPARED, LET'S SAY THAT HAPPENS PREPARED TO RESPOND TO DEFENSE DISCOVERY REQUESTS, UM, WITH RESPECT TO CALIBRATION OF THAT INSTRUMENT? WE ALWAYS RESPOND TO ALL DISCOVERY REQUESTS, OF COURSE.
E EVEN WITH A NEW DEVICE, BE PREPARED TO DO THAT.
SO AS YOU SAW, WE HAVE ALL THE PROCEDURES, VALIDATIONS AND VALIDATION PLANS.
SO ALL OF THOSE ARE EVEN NOW AVAILABLE FOR DISCOVERY ORDER REQUESTS.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THE DEMAND IS GONNA BE FOR THIS? SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE USING IT ROUTINELY? I CASES, SO YEAH, THANK YOU.
YOU, I KIND OF FORGOT TO KIND OF SAY CASES.
SO FOR CRIME SCENE SAMPLES, SORT OF, UH, ENVISION, IT'D BE MORE FOR LIKE TIME SENSITIVE AND PLEASE DR.
SO IT WOULD BE LIKE TIME SENSITIVE CASES.
LIKE LET'S SAY, UM, YOU HAVE AN AGGRAVATED ROBBERY OR A KIDNAPPING WHERE THE PERPETRATOR OF THE SUSPECT FLED THE SCENE AND WAS INJURED, RIGHT? WHILE THEY WERE
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TRYING TO FLEE.AND YOU HAVE A PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL TRAIL OF BLOOD, LIKE LEADING OUT, THAT WOULD BE THE KIND OF SAMPLE THAT WOULD BE IDEAL FOR THIS TYPE OF SITUATIONS, RIGHT? IT'S A TIME-SENSITIVE CASE, RIGHT? WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO FIND THAT PERSON WHO WAS KIDNAPPED OR WE WANNA KNOW, FIND WHO, WHO CAUSED THIS.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE KIND OF SCENE.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF OUR, UM, THE, THE EVIDENCE THAT THE FORENSIC BIOLOGY RECEIVES ARE MIXTURES AND THEY'RE VERY INTRINSIC.
THEY DON'T ONLY HAVE ONE SAMPLE.
SO, UM, HAVING THIS RAPID DNA ENABLES ENABLE US TO HAVE A, A FAST WORKFLOW WHEN WE HAVE THESE PARTICULARITIES OF A CASE MEET IT, UM, WHETHER IT'S REFERENCE SAMPLE, AND IN THE FUTURE, ONCE THE FBI AND TFSC APPROVES THE USE AND WE HAVE IT VALIDATED, WE CAN USE THAT FOR CRIME SCENE SAMPLES.
I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS WHAT DO YOU PROCEED TO BE THE USE OF THIS INSTRUMENT? LIKE 12 CASES IN A YEAR OR 1200? COURTNEY, I'LL LET YOU, THAT'S, DO YOU WANNA COME UP TOO? I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE THAT HIGH IN DEMAND.
I, BECAUSE IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC TYPE OF CASE THAT WE WOULD RUN ON IT.
THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW, LIKE COURTNEY AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, WE ALSO WANNA KEEP PEOPLE PROFICIENT IN IT AND USING IT DEPENDING ON THE DEMAND.
SO THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS LIKE WE MENTIONED WHERE WE'VE ALREADY DONE WORK IN A CASE, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A SUSPECT SWAB AND THEN A SUSPECT WAS DEVELOPED AND A SWAB WAS SUBMITTED TO US.
SO WE DO A SECOND ROUND OF TESTING TO DO THAT COMPARISON.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD USE OF BEING ABLE TO GET THAT DONE PRETTY EFFICIENTLY TO RUN THAT LIKE ONE SAMPLE ON THE MACHINE AND GET THAT CASE MOVING SO THAT WE ARE ALSO, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE MAINTAINING PROFICIENCY, BUT COURTNEY YEAH, SO WE, WE PLAN TO USE IT MAYBE NOT IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE ACTUALLY NEED RAPID RESULTS RIGHT AWAY.
UM, JUST SO WHEN WE BRING IT ONLINE, OUR STAFF CAN GET ACCUSTOMED TO USING IT MORE OFTEN.
AND, UM, WHEN WE DO NEED TO RAPIDLY RESPOND, WE'LL BE PREPARED.
BUT AS DR. CASTILLO MENTIONED, UM, QUITE FREQUENTLY WE DO GET SUSPECT OR REFERENCE SAMPLES THAT NEED TO BE COMPARED TO EVIDENCE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN TESTED IN THE LABORATORY.
AND SO FOR THOSE CASES, UM, THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, INCORPORATE INTO OUR WORKFLOW PRETTY EASILY.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, IT IT, WE MIGHT NOT NEED TO HAVE A RAPID RESULT, BUT WE NEED TO START USING THE INSTRUMENT SO THAT WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
SO I THINK WE WILL START USING IT.
UM, OUR STAKEHOLDERS MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY ASK US TO USE THE RAPID ON THE SAMPLE.
WE'LL DECIDE WHEN WE'RE GONNA USE THE RAPID INSTRUMENT.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, IF A SITUATION DOES ARISE WHERE WE NEED THE RAPID, WE'LL BE READY.
SO IF YOU, BUT IF YOU HAVE A CODE TO HIT, THEN YOU REALLY DON'T NEED A SUSPECT SWAB, RIGHT? WELL, YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED A SUSPECT SWAB FOR A CODIS HIT.
YOU CAN'T TAKE A CODIS HIT TO COURT.
YOU TAKE THE SAMPLE WITH THE RAPID, LET'S SAY IN THE EXAMPLE WITH THE BLOOD, YOU KNOW, TRAIL OF BLOOD, UNLIKELY, BUT YES, YOU, YOU HAVE THAT AND THEN YOU TAKE THAT, COULDN'T YOU JUST COMPARE THAT WITH, UH, CODIS AND FIND THE PERSON? COS NO, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY HOW CODIS WORKS.
SO CODIS IS ONLY A ONE-WAY STREET.
OKAY? SO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS A SAMPLE AND PUT IT INTO CODIS, UM, WE WILL GET A MATCH IN CODIS THAT SAYS, HEY, WE PUT THIS CRIME SCENE EVIDENCE SAMPLE IN CODIS, HERE'S A MATCH.
WE MIGHT EVEN GET A NAME THAT SAYS THIS MATCH IS JOHN SMITH.
BUT IN ORDER TO GO TO COURT, A BUCCAL SWAB FROM JOHN SMITH HAS TO GET COLLECTED SO THAT WE CAN DO A COMPARISON, PROVIDE A STATISTIC, AND ACTUALLY HAVE A REPORT AND SHOWS THAT JOHN SMITH IS THE TRUE MATCH TO THAT CODIS HIT, CODIS HIT'S, REALLY JUST AN INVESTIGATIVE LEAD.
SO THIS WOULD BE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF IF WE DO HAVE THAT CODIS HIT, THEY GO GET JOHN SMITH'S BUCCAL SWAB, WE CAN RUN IT ON THE RAPID AND GET THEM THAT COMPARISON INFORMATION MORE QUICKLY.
SO KIND OF GOING BACK TO MY QUESTION, SO WHEN WE, YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO USE THIS OR, SO I, I REALIZE THAT YOU WANT TO USE IT JUST TO KEEP PEOPLE PROFICIENT IN THE TECHNOLOGY, BUT WHEN WILL THERE BE A A CLEAR DEMAND FOR THIS? UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION EXACTLY.
UM, I THINK ONCE WE HAVE IT ONLINE, WE'LL OF COURSE LET OUR STAKEHOLDERS KNOW THAT IT'S AVAILABLE MM-HMM
UM, AND SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO LET US KNOW IF THERE'S AN URGENT MATTER THAT REQUIRES A FAST RESPONSE.
MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE LET, THEY LET US KNOW THAT NOW WHEN WE TRY TO WORK THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE, HEY, WE CAN HAVE THIS IN A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS OR A MONTH FROM NOW.
SO NOW WE MIGHT JUST BE ABLE TO SHORTEN THAT TIMEFRAME FOR THEM A LITTLE BIT.
AND THE BIGGEST AREAS WE SEE THAT ARE PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, I MEAN EVERYTHING WE DO IS PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT REALLY IN THOSE SCENARIOS WHERE THERE'S AN ACTIVE SITUATION HAPPENING AND THEY WANT TO HAVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO POSSIBLY GET SOMEBODY OFF THE STREET OR FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, WE DON'T GET THOSE SUPER FREQUENTLY.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK WHEN WE SAY, I DON'T THINK THE ABSOLUTE USE WHEN WE SAY LIKE, WE NEED YOU TO DO RAPID DNA, I DON'T ANTICIPATE BEING ONCE A MONTH.
I THINK IT'LL BE LESS FREQUENT THAN THAT.
BUT IT IS GOOD TO HAVE IT ONLINE.
[01:10:01]
WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT, A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE THIS ONLINE, UM, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYING, WELL, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE IT ONLINE, UM, WE'LL HAVE AN INSTRUMENT AND WE'LL USE IT.UM, AND SO THERE'S A LOT FROM THE LAB PERSPECTIVE TOO, OF HAVING THIS ONLINE SO THAT IT'S BEING DONE IN A LAB SETTING WITH THE CORRECT SUPPORT AND NOT IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE.
BECAUSE AS YOU SAW, YOU CAN PUT THE SWAB AND PUT IT IN THE MACHINE AND GET A PROFILE, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN INTERPRET THE PROFILE OR THAT THAT'S ALL OF THAT'S BEING DONE CORRECTLY.
SO PART OF OUR GOAL IN PROVIDING THE SERVICE TO STAKEHOLDERS IS HAVING A VERY HIGH QUALITY IN THE LAB, UM, ABILITY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT RAPID RESULT.
AND, AND I MEAN, AND I GUESS, I GUESS AT ITS CORE, WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SAYING IS, IS THAT THIS IS A TIME OF TIME IS THE ESSENCE KIND OF INVESTIGATIVE TOOL MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT IF I HAD A VIABLE DNA SAMPLE THAT NEEDED TO BE TESTED UNDER CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WOULD BE HOW LONG, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO GET A PROFILE? UM, I WOULD SAY IN A NORMAL RUSH, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT 30 TO 60 DAYS.
SO, AND SO YOU, YOU'RE TURNING IT AROUND REALLY FAST MM-HMM
AND YOU'D BE ABLE TO, TO THEN USE THAT AS AN INVESTIGATIVE LEAD TO IDENTIFY AN UNKNOWN, UH, PERSON.
AND I MEAN, WE HAD, I WOULD SAY THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE WE HAD WAS THE, THERE WAS A SERIAL RAPIST AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX AND HE WAS CONTINUED TO ATTACK.
AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT EVIDENCE SAMPLES AND IF THEY WOULD'VE BEEN APPROPRIATE, BUT IF THE EVIDENCE SAMPLES IN THOSE SITUATIONS WERE APPROPRIATE OR WE HAD ALREADY GOTTEN SOME EVIDENCE THROUGH AND THEY COLLECTED A SUSPECT SWAB, THOSE ARE THE REALLY RAPID WHERE YOU'RE LIKE, YOU'RE TRYING TO PREVENT ANOTHER SEXUAL ASSAULT FROM HAPPENING IN THAT VERY INTENSE SITUATION WHERE THEY KNOW THEY'RE HAPPENING REPEATEDLY IN AN AREA.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO CRITERIA WHERE THEY HAVE A SUSPECT IN MIND, BUT THEY CAN'T HOLD THAT SUSPECT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET RESULTS BACK THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THIS INDIVIDUAL DOES MATCH THE DNA FROM WHATEVER OFFENSE WE HAVE, THEN THAT INFORMATION CAN HELP KEEP THAT SUSPECT, YOU KNOW, IN JAIL OR OFF THE STREETS OR WHATEVER.
BUT IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION QUICKLY, LAW ENFORCEMENT MIGHT HAVE TO RELEASE THAT INDIVIDUAL BACK.
AND WHAT, AND, AND, AND ULTIMATELY, ULTIMATELY THIS ALL GETS MOOTED OUT BY A SUBSEQUENT TEST, RIGHT? I MEAN, THIS IS JUST AN INVESTIGATIVE LEAD, BUT THERE'S NO, NO RAPID DNA.
SO PART OF WHY WE'RE JUMPING THROUGH ALL THESE HOOPS IS SO THAT IT CAN STAND ALONE AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGY.
WE WOULD ONLY NEED TO GO BACK IF OUR RAPID, UM, DIDN'T WORK AS EXPECTED, THEN WE HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO.
SO, SO IT'S SENSITIVITY IS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU MIGHT BE RUNNING IN THOSE BATCHES, LIKE THE RATES OF FALSE POSITIVE, FALSE NEGATIVES.
YOU WOULDN'T BE CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE? UM, NOT NECESSARILY.
SO PART OF THE VALIDATION IS TESTING ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UM, WHICH IS MAINLY WHY WE KNOW IT REALLY ONLY WORKS SUCCESSFULLY FOR SINGLE SOURCE SAMPLES.
UM, SO THOSE THINGS WITH LOWER AMOUNTS OF DNA OR MIXTURES OF DNA, THIS ISN'T GOOD TECHNOLOGY FOR THAT, BUT FOR THE SAMPLES, THE RIGHT SAMPLE TYPE, IT'S DEFINITELY ACCEPTABLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU BOTH.
THAT WAS EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
UM, AT THIS TIME THE HFSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL GO GO INTO A CLOSED MEETING, ALSO KNOWN AS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND IS PERMITTED BY THE TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT.
THE CLOSED MEETING WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE WILL ASK OUR STAFF TO ALL STEP OUTSIDE.
PLEASE, UH, FOR THE TIME BEING.
EXCEPT FOR MS. MATTZ, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THE CLOSED MEETING RUNNING TOO LONG, BUT THE BOARD DOES, UH, HAVE TIME SET ASIDE TO RECONVENE THIS OPEN MEETING TODAY.
WE WILL RETURN WHEN OUR BUSINESS HAS CONCLUDED.
THE TIME IS NOW 10:15 AM PLEASE STOP THE RECORDING AT THIS TIME AND EXIT STAGE LEFT.
[01:15:01]
IT'S WHY THAT'S SO HARD TO SAY.BUT IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS THAT ROLL OFF EASY, GIVE ME THE CLUE.
UH, BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS RECONVENING THIS OPEN MEETING FOR THE RECORD.
DO I NEED TO REPEAT? YOU'RE GOOD.
UM, AT THIS TIME, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS.
UH, WE WILL RE WE WILL, WE WILL CONSIDER ANY DISCUSSION OR ACTION RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'M OPENING THE FLOOR FOR ANY MOTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM THE BOARD RELATED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND VOTE PLEASE.
UH, WE HAVE, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO ADD TO A MOTION ON THAT RECORD? IF WE CAN JUST HAVE THE ACTUAL MOTION ON THE FLOOR, SINCE THE AGENDA ITEM DOESN'T SPEAK TO IT SPECIFICALLY, IF YOU COULD JUST STATE THE MOTION.
MOTION TO, I GUESS, EXTEND THE OFFER TO DR. STOUT TO RENEW HIS CONTRACT.
IT WOULD BE A MOTION TO, UH, PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE TO DR. STOUT TO
SIX MONTH IN ADVANCE OF EXPIRATION OF HIS CONTRACT.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SILVERMAN.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS, PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? IS ANYBODY WILLING TO STEP UP ON THAT ONE? MOTION? THANK YOU, AJOUR.
YOU DIRECTOR SILVERMAN? HOW ABOUT A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, WE HAVE A, A MOTION FROM DIRECTOR SILVERMAN AND A SECOND FOR DIRECTOR CALLIS.
AND PLEASE UNMUTE YOUR MICS AT THIS TIME.
ANY OPPOSED? THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
HAVE A WONDERFUL MOTHER'S DAY AND A GREAT START TO THE SUMMER.