FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2009
Contact: Tom Pfeifer, (202) 225-5811
Gallegly Secures $1 Million in Crime-Fighting Funds
WASHINGTON, DC—The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee this week approved $1 million in funding for three projects U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties) requested as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill.
The projects are:
• $570,000 to create a Ventura County District Attorney’s DNA Cold Case Prosecution Unit.
If passed by the House and Senate and passed into law, the DNA Cold Case Prosecution Unit would be a pilot program to investigate and prosecute violent crimes through the use of DNA technology.
A prosecutor and two investigators would be hired for the sole purpose of solving and prosecuting DNA cold cases. It is anticipated this will be a three-year program with the possible expansion to other counties based on the results in Ventura County.
The federal government has devoted considerable resources to DNA testing and establishing DNA databases. For instance, California alone has nearly 1.2 million felons in its CAL-DNA database. This number is expected to swell by more than 700,000 during the next four years as all adults arrested on any felony charge after January 1, 2009, are required to provide their DNA profile pursuant to a voter-approved statewide initiative.
In Ventura County, there are currently 228 unsolved cases involving DNA evidence. Local law enforcement anticipates 22 cold hits per year involving old, unsolved homicide and rape cases. However, even with a DNA match, these cases are difficult to investigate as prosecutors must reconstruct the case based upon the new DNA evidence.
• $350,000 for two California Multi-jurisdictional Methamphetamine (CAL MMET) Investigators for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
The two investigators would be part of the Ventura County Combined Agency Task Force, which is a collaborative effort with city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies working toward the disruption and arrest of narcotic offenders and drug trafficking organizations. The funding would be used for two senior deputy investigators, who will be utilized to specifically target methamphetamine dealers and manufacturers.
• $80,000 towards two Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Regional Gang Unit/Forensic Scientists.
The Sheriff’s Gang Unit is responsible for the apprehension of gang members, the disruption and dismantlement of gangs, and the investigation and prevention of gang-related crimes. Two forensic scientists dedicated to analyzing evidence from gang-related crimes throughout the county of Ventura would be added to the unit. Ventura County encompasses several local law enforcement jurisdictions and the gang unit’s resources would be available to those jurisdictions.
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