NCJ Number
243264
Date Published
July 2013
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This report from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General presents the results of the audit of the Colorado Department of Public Safety's program to use DNA to solve cold cases.
Abstract
This report presents the results of an audit conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General regarding the Colorado Department of Public Safety's program to use DNA to solve cold cases. In September 2010, the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS) was awarded a cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) under NIJ's Solving Cold Cases with DNA Program. The award totaled $687,250 and was used by the State to identify, review, and investigate Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Part 1 Violent Crime cold cases that had the potential to be solved through DNA analysis. The audit tested compliance with the conditions of the cooperative agreement and found that 1) $1,820 in unallowable costs used to purchase items that were not included as part of the approved cooperative agreement budget; 2) performance metrics reported to the NIJ were inaccurate and unsupported; and 3) the CDPS may not complete the proposed program goals prior to the end of the cooperative agreement. The conditions of the cooperative agreement that were tested in the audit were CDPS's: internal control environment, cooperative agreement drawdowns, cooperative agreement expenditures, budget management and control, Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) and Progress Reports, and cooperative agreement objectives and accomplishments. The report includes the following recommendations for the Office of Justice Programs in coordination with the CDPS: ensure performance metrics reported to the NIJ accurately reflect the program accomplishments that have occurred as a result of cooperative agreement funding; ensure that valid and auditable source documentation is maintained to support both the activity and the period in which it occurs; and assess the CDPS's ability to complete the proposed program goals prior to the end of the cooperative agreement and evaluate the CDPS's need for any remaining unspent funds. Tables and appendixes