Case Study: Denver Police Department Improves DNA Turnaround Times with SIMUL8

Denver Police Department Crime Laboratory evaluates efficiency improvements with SIMUL8

The Denver Police Department Crime Laboratory was facing a sharp rise in DNA caseloads and longer turnaround times, creating a growing backlog and making it difficult to determine where to invest limited resources. To address the problem, the lab turned to SIMUL8 simulation software to objectively evaluate whether additional equipment or staffing would deliver the greatest improvement.

Using SIMUL8, the lab built a simulation of its DNA workflow and tested multiple investment scenarios. The results showed that adding equipment would not solve the bottleneck because analysts, not instruments, were the constraint; instead, additional staffing was the best path forward. SIMUL8 helped identify an optimal staffing mix, showed that four new analysts would provide the best long-term return, and demonstrated that the lab could clear its backlog in about six months and meet target turnaround times of seven days for rush cases and 45 days for other cases.

Denver Police Department