1. February 2013
Rapid DNA – Disruptive New Technology
Breaking the Cycle of Repeat Crimes
By Bruce Jamieson
Sr. Director Sales, IntegenX Human Identification Products
BruceJ@integenX.com (M) +1 408 813 2344
Introduction: DNA as a forensic tool has been used to link suspects to crime scene evidence for
the past three decades. The latest breakthrough in DNA forensics, Rapid DNA testing, promises
to be a disruptive new technology that will dramatically improve the effectiveness of criminal
justice systems worldwide. By reducing the turnaround time of suspect samples from days, weeks
or even months to 90 minutes, law enforcement officials, forensic scientists and prosecutors can
apply this tool to a wider variety of crimes. They are preparing for this amazing breakthrough by
validating the technology, running pilot studies and examining workflows to make sure they can
quickly take full advantage of Rapid DNA. This paper describes the current state of DNA as a
forensics tool, the emerging technology of Rapid DNA, and some early uses of the first
commercial implementation of Rapid DNA – the IntegenX RapidHIT™ 200 Human
Identification System.
DNA in Forensics, current situation backlogs. In the U.S., state, regional and local
crime labs are hard pressed to keep up with
DNA evidence – a human identification demand in spite of the growing use of highly
technique based on measurements of the length automated workstations that perform the
of pre-determined locations, or loci, on the majority of routine tasks such as extraction,
human genome, is far more accurate than purification, amplification by PCR, separation
physical fingerprints. It is often left behind by capillary electrophoresis and detection. Data
crime scenes in the form of blood, saliva on analysis can also be automated with forensic
drink bottles and cigarette butts, and even by review for final determination. However, once
touching surfaces such as broken glass, door DNA profiles from suspects and/or crime scene
knobs and window latches, affording many more evidence have been determined in the crime lab,
opportunities to collect crime scene evidence the value comes from comparing suspect
than traditional fingerprints. Concerns of samples to crime scenes – either the current
violating genetic privacy are unfounded as this crime scene or past unsolved cases. Exoneration
type of DNA analysis does not indicate any of suspects that don’t match the crime scene data
healthcare information. The loci chosen for prevents unnecessary law enforcement effort and
identification purposes do not code for any costs of investigating the wrong suspects, and
known physical or genetic characteristics and is focuses efforts and financial resources on the
therefore not associated with privacy issues right suspects. To accomplish this requires the
related to genetic disposition to inherited use of one or more data bases to search suspect
diseases. A powerful tool, DNA identification is profiles against crime scene evidence. Most
most often used for violent crimes (murders and crimes are not singular events but repeated by
sexual assaults) and other major crimes as the same perpetrators over and over until caught
forensic capacity allows. As our reliance on and prosecuted. The U.S. National Offender
DNA evidence has grown, so have crime lab Database, called CODIS (Combined DNA Index

2. System) is a set of national, state and local evidence from items that were handled or
databases that provide both a framework and touched;
data for matching suspects to current and past • Biological material collected by forensic
crimes. Access to CODIS is provided to technicians is no more likely to result in a
qualifying, accredited government labs - the suspect being identified than biological material
same labs that process the DNA suspect and collected by patrol officers.
crime scene samples. The opportunity to expand
the use of DNA to more crimes, and more types With such clear benefit to society, why hasn’t
of crimes would require these labs that are DNA been expanded to more crimes today, as
already at or beyond their capacity to process that study was done over 5 years ago? The issue
considerably more samples. If the use of DNA is is how to expand existing forensic capacity to
to expanded into high-volume property crimes handle a dramatically increased sample load that
then capacity must be expanded. This can be would occur from the use of DNA to investigate
done by spending considerably more tax dollars high-volume property crimes. Crime labs with
on lab space, equipment and personnel, or by existing methods and staffing levels are already
using Rapid DNA to help with capacity. running at their capacity with the current
workload of processing DNA, supporting violent
There is another consideration as well - while crimes, and are typically not able to consider
CODIS is effective for violent crimes at the expanding the use of DNA to higher volume
national level, most high-volume crimes are property crimes. What’s called for is a
local. Therefore local database access must be breakthrough in technology, and Rapid DNA
expanded in order to populate local crime scene holds the promise of doing just that.
data and suspect data to match at the local or
state levels. This could make use of the local The FBI/DoD/DHS Task Force on Rapid DNA
component of CODIS (called LDIS) or could be has defined a new vision for Rapid DNA“…will
through the use of private databases that are provide the Nation’s law enforcement agencies
becoming more prevalent due to their ease of the capability to collect and develop an arrested
access to a wider spectrum of local law individual's DNA during the normal time it
enforcement agencies and private contract takes to process a subject at intake…” (Urban)
service labs. This suggests several hurdles including
processing an arrestee’s DNA in the time they
Rapid DNA for More Crimes and More can be held, and performing the processing local
Types of Crimes to the arrest. Typically the vision is to process
suspect/arrestee samples at the booking station.
A study conducted by five cities under a This would require speed and automation,
Department of Justice grant made the following similar to how breath alcohol analyzers operate
bold claims in an April 2008 article (Roman): today. Most booking stations have breathalyzers
• Property crime cases where DNA evidence is that can be operated by trained law enforcement
processed have more than twice as many officers, so that evidence can be collected upon
suspects identified, twice as many suspects intake. For DNA to be used more broadly this
arrested, and more than twice as many cases model must be met – processing DNA from
accepted for prosecution compared with suspects must be quick and easy.
traditional investigation:
• DNA is at least five times as likely to result in IntegenX RapidHIT™ 200 Human
a suspect identification compared with Identification System
fingerprints;
• Suspects identified by DNA had at least twice Described as a “DNA Lab in a Box”, the
as many prior felony arrests and convictions as RapidHIT™ from IntegenX easily meets the
those identified by traditional investigation;
• Blood evidence results in better case outcomes
than other biological evidence, particularly

3. criteria set out by the FBI for rapid DNA as it order to transform our world. Rapid DNA is
likely such a disruptive technology and requires
effort by the pioneers from the forensics
community, law enforcement, and prosecutors.
Some of these pioneers are already at work,
examining existing work flows, testing Rapid
DNA and conducting pilot studies to determine
the limits, operating parameters and use cases
for this outstanding new tool.
Rapid DNA in Action
One of the highly valuable uses for Rapid DNA
processes 5 suspect samples in 90 minutes, is is to identify individuals and families seeking
fully automated and can be placed in a booking asylum outside the U.S. as refugees. A
station, while connected to a crime lab RapidHIT has been validated and will be used in
electronically for data review and technical a pilot study for refugees using DNA to identify
oversight. Cartridge based, the chemistry is the individuals and make sure they are not
same as used by crime labs and can be setup in connected with any known crimes. It can also be
less than 5 minutes and is self-contained. used to check familial relationships to assure
Everything needed for a run of 5 suspect that children seeking asylum are related to the
samples is contained on a set of small cartridges claimed parents. Should this prove successful,
easily inserted into the RapidHIT. Upon implementation globally would be highly
completion, all waste goes back into the valuable to the U.S. government and other
cartridges. By changing out the used cartridges countries.
for fresh, the system is again ready to run in
minutes. Law enforcement officers have been A mid-sized city in central Florida, Palm Bay,
successfully trained to gather DNA evidence has been successfully using DNA to fight high-
samples, and have been effective at running the volume property crimes for over 6 years. This
RapidHIT with proper forensic oversight. required developing a relationship with a private
contract service organization, DNA Si:
This should be a game changer! Laboratories of Burlington, NC, to process
property crime and suspect samples and build a
Disruptive Technologies are Messy local database. In short order, this system started
linking suspects to crimes and yielded a
Introducing innovative new technologies is not a dramatic reduction in high volume crimes
task for everyone. Disrupting existing work (nearly a 40% decrease over a four year study)
flows in order to re-engineer a process to allow while increasing the case closure rate for Palm
the insertion of a disruptive new technology Bay Police Department to nearly three times the
requires considerable effort and causes trouble national average (Blackledge).
for those involved. The early adopters, or
pioneers, of new technologies are those that
embrace the new capability because they can see
the eventual benefits. Holding the vision of a
better way in mind, they push through barriers,
overcome opposition (“We’ve always done it
this way”) and drive toward successful
integration of a new technique into the everyday
work flow. Rewards eventually come, but the
process requires perseverance and fortitude in

4. results with the on-going use of DNA for
property crimes.
Results from this effort
will be published as
they become available.
Call to Action
These dramatic
benefits of Rapid DNA
call for increased
attention from local,
state and federal legislators. Even modest
This positive experience with expanding the use funding, applied to the local level, could produce
of DNA into high-volume property crimes has similar dramatic results from communities
provided the basis for Palm Bay P.D. and their across the U.S. and globally. Please consider
partner lab, DNA Si: Laboratories, to be the first supporting the expanded use of DNA for more
police agency to put Rapid DNA to the test. The crimes and more types of crimes by contacting
first RapidHIT™ to be installed in a police your local, state and federal legislators to push
booking station is in place and is being for financial and legislative support.
validated.
The ability for DNA Si: Labs to run the crime
scene samples, and Palm Bay P.D. to process
their own suspect/arrestee samples is a powerful
combination and should produce dramatic
References
Roman, John; Reid, Shannon; Reid, Jay; Chalfin, Aaron; Adams, William; Knight, Carly. “The DNA Field
Experiment: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Use of DNA in the Investigation of High-Volume Crimes.” April
2008. Urban Institute / Justice Policy Center.
Blackledge, John; Swiger, Roy; Muldoon, Douglas. “Intelligence-Led Policing Using DNA.” FBI National
Academy Associate, April 2012.
From personal interview with Chief Diane Urban, Hayward, CA Police Department and member of the
FBI/DoD/DHS Rapid DNA Task Force.