Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining me on this Independence Day. Im fredricka whitfield. We begin july 4th with another huge spike in the number of coronavirus cases. Today, florida reported its highest case count to date. More than 11,000 new infections in a single day. Its case count far surpassing any other state right now. And despite that, many beaches remain open this Holiday Weekend. In texas, icu beds in at least two counties are reaching capacity. At least two severely ill patients were forced to be flown to other cities. New cases are surging across the country once again topping 50,000 for the Third Straight day. Its a trend that has been growing in recent weeks. And right now, the numbers are down in only one state, vermont. But in the midst of the climbing case count, President Trump held a campaignstyle rally last night in the shadow of mt. Rushmore where there was no social distancing and not many people were Wearing Masks. Much more on what the president said coming
To implement this protocol, and it is being done today as we speak. The department is going to request funding to meet the increased demand that this is going to create for testing of Sexual Assault kits in our asap program for our expansion. Last year at the crime lab we had two super vicers and 13 criminals in the dna unit and we hired two additional supervisors in the unit and we are in the process of hiring three additional analysts for the dna unit in the laboratory. Once, those hires are completed, that is going to bring us to four supervisors and 15 analysts in the dna unit. The Department Also utilized Grant Funding to restructure our existing laboratory space, in the dna unit, we have added new benches which are work stations for our dna criminalists, and those additions can accommodate up to 8 additional criminalists. And we also have a new microscope area and most importantly, dedicated evidence Screening Room that accommodates up to 4 analysts at one time and as of this eve
Survivor of a Sexual Assault, that kit is transported directly to the crime lab within 72 hours of being collected and it is assigned for analysis immediately there after. So, the group of 894, minus the group of 141 asa cases leaves us with a remainder of 763 assault kits that have not been tested. The chief has ordered the testing of these remaining kids and the department will utilize outsourcing services for test and reduce the impact on demand but this will create in our crime lab and the department recently obtained an extension for the outsourcing Services Contract that we have been utilizing for the last few years. We are also obtaining a contract for the proposal process. And in the final area of my presentation that i want to address, is the departments strategy moving forward, in terms of Sexual Assault kit processing and effective january first of this year, department expanded the asap program to include all Sexual Assault kits that were collected at Mission Emergency hosp
Recovered, and the events not happening at all, and all four events the suspect and the weapon responsible for the injuries was taken into custody. And no one was more thankfully, nobody was more seriously hurt than to be in stable condition and no officers were hurt, so great job. And then, finally, on Martin Luther king day. There were many events and a lot of officers out. And we were at the labor breakfast in the morning and we were at john mirror school kiaser and a lot of volunteering went on and wenlt to the African Center and closed with a freedom march at the train with at least the whole command staff and just about every member of the ofj and numerous other officers and great time and perfect weather and i think that all in all, we did right by dr. King in holding him in the memory that he should be, and so with that i will make the first introduction of the presentation if there are no questions on those, items . Thank you, chief. And i am going to ask, lieutenant fong, and
What the senator is asking for. I did read the bill and i can tell you that the administrative code, 28. 89, that mandates what the policy will be for the Police Department in terms of testing for dna, our standard is a lot higher, that we meet. We have, we are required by the administrative code to collect kits within 72 hours, which we do. We keep track of that collection and we have never missed that mark not once. And our time goal in the administrative code is that once we take the collection of those kits, we analyze them and if there is an eligible profile we enter into it the kotus within 14 days and that is a lofty goal and we have met it on many occasions. But it is tough. The Assembly Bill, said that the language says that Law Enforcement agencies are encouraged to collect Sexual Assault kit evidence as soon as practical or within five days at the most and Law Enforcement is also encouraged to submit those kits to a crime lab. The, there is one carve out in there that is dif