Montgomery County District Attorney Azzie Oliver and Dr. Gulnaz Javan
By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
Alabama State University's Department of Forensic Science is now working in collaboration with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office (DA), the Montgomery County Commission and other government entities to help solve crimes thanks to a $167,127 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The funds will be used to create the Central Alabama Shared DNA Technology Project (The Project).
The scientific area of The Project is led by the University's Dr. Gulnaz Javan, coordinator of ASU’s Forensic Biology Program and a noted national expert in the study of death-related scientific topics and issues.
“Its goal is to adopt best practices of forensic science to help solve and deter violent crime, which is an issue within so many communities both here and elsewhere,” said Dr. Javan.
She explained that the joint project will involve Montgomery County District Attorney Azzie Oliver, her staff; prosecutors in up to three other Alabama judicial circuits, sheriff’s offices in 11 counties, and 14 police departments.
"All of us working together will jointly train and combine effective law enforcement and scientific techniques to help reduce violent crimes within our communities," Dr. Javan commented.
A COORDINATED EFFORT TO REDUCE VIOLENCE
The grant has been used primarily to purchase a DNA recovery system and supplies, and to train law enforcement, prosecutorial staff and ASU graduate students on how best to use the equipment to bring criminals to justice.
Javan shared that the DNA system is manufactured by M-Vac, which is recognized for assisting in evidence recovery situations where traditional methods fail.
The M-Vac uses wet-vacuum principles to cause DNA material to release from the substrate, to capture the cells and then transfer them into a sterile collection bottle.
Dr. Javan will serve as The Project's subject-matter expert. She already works closely with District Attorney Oliver's investigator, Antony Shannon. The grant will also allow Javan to supervise five ASU forensic science graduate students, who will work with her and with the DA's office and various other Central Alabama crime fighting agencies.
PARTNERING TO SOLVE CRIMES
DA Oliver believes combining the latest scientific methods with proven crime-fighting methodology will help bring more criminals to justice.
“This grant is a tremendous asset in the effort to reduce violent crime across Montgomery County and throughout Central Alabama. We believe the DNA technology that we’ll be able to use will lead us to increase our ability to solve even more offenses; arrest more murderers, rapists and robbers; and provide convictions, which will lead to lengthy sentences for criminals and safer streets,” Oliver stated. “We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Justice for approving this grant."
UPLIFTING THROUGH ‘COMMUNIVERSITY’
Dr. Javan believes the partnership embodies the spirit of ASU President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr.'s, concept of CommUniversity, which is ASU using its personnel and expertise to help uplift the local, national and global communities outside of the campus.
“The grant will allow us to utilize ASU's noted Forensic Science program to give our graduate students hands-on activity in cutting-edge research and in doing so with Montgomery's DA Oliver and others, help train the next generation of those who combat violent crime in a myriad of ways and situations.”