A Stanford-trained Ph.D. chemist who helped modernize the Oakland Police Department’s forensics laboratory is the new chief of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Crime Lab.

Sandra Burnham Sachs takes over as the DA’s forensic chief from being the lab manager of the OPD’s Criminalistics Division. Sachs will oversee the internationally accredited crime lab previously led by Dr. Ian Fitch since 2011. Fitch retired this year.

The Crime Lab, with 76 criminalists, is one of the few crime labs in the state managed by a DA’s office.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen said that Sachs would continue a vital tradition of independently testing and identifying evidence in criminal cases, such as DNA, weapons, and “rape kits.”

“Dr. Sachs is first an experienced and excellent forensic scientist,” Rosen said. “Her leadership skills will serve the lab, the dedicated criminalists who work there, and our community to keep our criminal justice efficient, accurate, and – ultimately – fair.”

As manager of Oakland’s forensic services, Sachs oversaw the day-to-day operations of the laboratory, managing the supervisors of the Drug Analysis, Firearms, Forensic Biology and Latent Print units, while maintaining operating budgets and grants, and directing the quality assurance program that optimizes all casework output.

Sachs also launched a Crime Gun Intelligence Center. In 2019, she was the recipient of the Chief’s Leadership Award.

Sachs graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key National Honor Societies and a University Honors Program graduate with magna cum laude distinction. Sachs received her doctorate degree in chemistry from Stanford University.