U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) helped secure more than $250,000 in federal funding for the Glendale-based Verdugo Regional Crime Laboratory in order to help the facility process DNA evidence faster and expand its storage capacity.

The Verdugo Regional Crime Laboratory in Glendale will receive a makeover to better process DNA evidence faster, thanks to federal funding secured by U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank).

The lab was awarded $253,897 on Monday through a program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a statement from Schiff’s office. The money will go toward renovating the lab in order to streamline workflow and open up additional examination space.

“This new funding will further augment the lab’s capacity to process DNA evidence, reducing turnaround times for crime-scene evidence,” Schiff said in the statement. “I am proud of the important role [the crime lab] continues to play in our community.”

Located at the Glendale Police Department’s headquarters, the lab primarily processes evidence for Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

Catherine Nguyen, the lab’s director, has previously said evidence collected by other neighboring agencies is also processed from time to time.

Schiff previously helped secure $150,000 in funding last year for the lab to hire additional personnel and assisted in obtaining $1.5 million in 2009 to help open the lab. He also secured $1 million in 2010 to expand and fully fund the lab.

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https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/story/2019-09-18/schiff-secures-more-than-250k-in-federal-funding-for-glendale-crime-lab