BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – Unsolved cases across the country may be cracked more quickly thanks to rapid DNA technology. Hernando County is the first in Florida to use rapid DNA technology in its detention center booking unit, marking the first usage of the technology in the new FDLE rapid DNA booking program.
Now, inmates at the Hernando County Jail who are accused of committing serious crimes, are required to submit a DNA sample if they haven’t already given one. That DNA will then be entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) within 24 hours. The DNA is then searched against all unsolved crimes in CODIS.
Using a mouth swab, rapid DNA technology develops a DNA profile within 1–2 hours without the need for a DNA laboratory and without any human interpretation.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the overall goal of the rapid DNA initiative is to immediately get qualified arrestees enrolled in CODIS.
