Long Beach to Consider $1 Million DNA Testing Grant
The City Council will weigh accepting a federal grant to establish an in-house DNA testing unit within the Long Beach Police Department's Crime Laboratory.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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Should your city spend federal grant money on faster police DNA testing?
The Long Beach City Council is scheduled to consider accepting a $1.031 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance on Tuesday, Nov. 10 to create a DNA testing unit. The unit would operate within the Long Beach Police Department's existing Crime Laboratory.
Why it matters
The city has relied on Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for DNA analysis, where average turnaround times have been lengthy, and bringing testing in-house is intended to speed casework and give investigators greater control over forensic procedures. Council members are being asked to authorize receipt and expenditure of the funds.
The $1.031 million grant covers Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2030, and requires no matching contribution from the city. Council approval on Nov. 10 remains pending, and the stub does not indicate the outcome of that vote.
The players
Long Beach Police Department
The municipal police agency that would house the DNA testing unit within its existing Crime Laboratory, which would bring forensic testing in-house.
Rep. Robert Garcia
The U.S. congressman whose office announced the $1.031 million funding for the Long Beach DNA testing unit in March 2026.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The county agency that has been the city's prior provider of DNA analysis services, where historical turnaround times have been long.
The details
The grant would fund specialized DNA testing equipment, laboratory instrumentation, operating procedures and efforts to address priority casework backlogs. The city purchased a facility in 2019 with sufficient space for DNA analysis, and the funding was first allocated by a House committee and announced by Rep. Robert Garcia in March 2026.
Timeline
2019: City purchased a facility with space for DNA analysis.
Fiscal 2025: City budget recorded historical DNA analysis delay averages.
August 2025: City memorandum noted a House committee allocated $1.031 million.
March 2026: Rep. Robert Garcia announced the funding.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026: City Council scheduled to consider accepting the grant.
Legal Context
The grant is administered through the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, a federal channel that funds local criminal justice capacity. Long Beach's move reflects a broader local effort to shorten forensic backlogs by taking DNA analysis away from outside county laboratories.
If approved, the in-house unit could reduce how long residents wait for DNA results in robbery, homicide and sexual assault cases that depend on forensic evidence. The change would take effect over the grant period running from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2030.
The takeaway
Bringing DNA analysis in-house is a structural move aimed at shortening case timelines, so the practical test will be whether turnaround times fall once the unit is running. Residents can track the council's Nov. 10 vote as the first concrete step.
What happens next
The Long Beach City Council is scheduled to consider accepting the $1.031 million grant on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026.
Further reading
For more on local policing and forensic operations, see Law Enforcement coverage in Long Beach.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Patch.
Live Poll
Should your city spend federal grant money on faster police DNA testing?
