By: Savannah Kelley
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - New technology set to come to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office could be a game changer in solving crimes faster.
On Friday, the Florida legislature passed its annual budget, which includes $250,000 for LCSO to purchase a rapid DNA machine. LCSO is one of 11 counties that are part of a pilot program to test out this technology.
Assistant Sheriff Steve Harrelson said currently, LCSO has to send its DNA samples to FDLE for testing. That process takes weeks. But this new machine can do the same thing in just two hours.
The sheriff’s office tested this machine back in February 2020, but soon it will be a permanent fixture in the office. When a person is arrested, deputies will be able to take a mouth swab and have that DNA tested before the booking process is over. Using the old system, a criminal could have left the state or even the country by the time a DNA match comes in.
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