Council approves DNA lab positions to speed forensic analysis after backlog investments

The City Council adopted a motion to add positions to the NOPD crime lab to support KODIS/local DNA database operations and improve turnaround time for forensic analysis.

Robin Lebecki and Aaron Levy, managers and supervisors at the NOPD crime lab, told the council the positions are critical to operate a local DNA database and to connect local evidence to city and national indices. Council members repeatedly affirmed support for DNA-processing capacity but asked how the positions would be funded amid current fiscal strain; administration documents provided at the budget committee clarified that funding would come from identified internal adjustments and by not filling certain mayor’s office vacancies.

Council President Morell and others referenced the city’s prior investments to clear a backlog of untested DNA kits and stressed the public‑safety benefits of reducing turnaround time for forensic evidence. After administration provided the requested funding-path documentation, the council moved to adopt the positions.

What happens next: The administration and the crime lab will proceed with hiring for the KODIS administrator and support roles; the positions are intended to move the lab closer to full accreditation and reduce outstanding backlogs that have previously delayed investigations and prosecutions.