20A - EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT

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ATTACHMENT A City: Buena Park: The City of Buena Park proposes to use the 2009 Justice Assistance Grant funding as follows: Project Objectives (Type of programs to be funded and need for the programs; refer to solicitation) Law enforcement agencies, regardless of size, are not immune to rising crime rates, staff shortages, and budget restrictions. Rising crime rates can tax the investigative and administrative resources of an agency. More crime may mean that fewer cases are pursued vigorously, fewer opportunities arise for follow-up, or individual caseloads increase from already overworked detectives. Transfers, retirements, and other personnel changes result in investigators originally assigned these to leave and/or move on. The Buena Park Police Department currently has 28 unsolved homicide cases, commonly referred to as "cold cases," some dating back to the year 1970. The Police Department wants to develop a "cold case" program utilizing experienced investigators to pursue leads in these cases and track down possible suspects. The arrest of suspects in one "cold case" may either solve other cases (through new leads and information from those suspects) or prevent new ones (by keeping killers from committing other crimes). Today, homicide investigators have at their disposal technology, investigative methods, and resources that were not available to law enforcement agencies in the past. Goal of the Project: The Buena Park Police Department proposes to use the proposed amount in its 2009 JAG allocation to provide funding for experienced homicide investigators to work and attempt to solve over 25 unsolved homicide cases on an overtime basis. By doing so, we will serve the families or murder victims and, in a broader sense, all of the community by bringing murderers to justice. Strategies to be used for the .pro ject: Investigators will review all unsolved "cold case" homicides and prioritize them according to the likelihood of an eventual solution. The highest priority cases are those in which the murder victim, or even a second surviving victim, has been identified; the death was ruled a homicide; suspects were previously named or identified through forensic methods; an arrest warrant was previously issued; significant physical evidence (such as fingerprints, DNA, or shell casings) can be reprocessed for further evidence; new documented leads have arisen and/or critical witnesses are accessible and willing to cooperate. 2009- DJ-BX-0033 Page 7 of 27 20A-14