Published: September 14, 2023
By: Ava Hanner
BUNNELL, FL – The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility has been selected as one of eleven jails in the State of Florida to receive a grant for a Rapid DNA program.
The Florida Sheriffs Association secured a $2.75 million grant from the state legislature for a pilot program to purchase Rapid DNA machines, testing supplies, and other associated expenses for 11 pilot jails in Florida. Each sheriff’s office received $250,000 to cover the cost of one Rapid DNA machine and a portion of the expenses related to the machine as well as some or all of the DNA tests for the first year.
Every day, DNA technology is used by law enforcement agencies to identify suspects, investigate crimes, and bring justice to victims and their families. Unfortunately, resources and an administrative backlog of evidence often prevent samples from being processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in a timely manner. This is especially an issue when DNA identification is needed while an arrestee is in custody. In recent years the advancement of rapid DNA analysis allowed law enforcement agencies to rapidly solve cases and identify suspects
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