Sarasota County Sheriff's Office receives forensics grant

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has received a federal grant to purchase equipment for the Forensic Services Section. The new equipment will bolster its effort to become nationally accredited.

The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, has awarded the agency the Fiscal Year 2011 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant in the amount of $61,124.

According to a release, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has begun building the foundation to achieve national accreditation, and the equipment purchased with these grant funds will be used for a number of purposes, including the development of fingerprints, examination of footwear marks, drug analysis and detecting prescription drug fraud.

“Finding outside funding sources that can help enhance our technology or crime prevention initiatives has been a priority for my administration,” said Sheriff Tom Knight. “We are grateful for this grant and how it will be used to augment our forensic capabilities.”