NEWARK—Today, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announced more than $1.3 million in federal funding to help the Union County Prosecutor’s Office improve forensic DNA investigations. The funding, awarded though the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) DNA Backlog Reduction Program, will reduce DNA testing backlogs and shorten the turnaround time for forensic DNA tests.
“This federal funding will help the Union County Prosecutor’s Office conduct DNA testing quickly and efficiently,” said Lautenberg, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, which funds this DOJ program. “The safety of our communities is a top priority, and we will continue working to provide law enforcement with the federal resources they need to investigate crime and prosecute dangerous criminals.”
“This funding is vital to ensuring our law enforcement professionals have the tools they need to reduce DNA testing backlogs and investigate crimes thoroughly, efficiently and effectively so we can keep our communities safe and put dangerous criminals behind bars,” said Menendez. “As citizens, that’s the job we expect them to do, and as Senators, it’s our job to fight for the resources they need.”
