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Federal Grant Could Solve DNA Delay for Bellingham, Wash., Police

Processing times for DNA samples can take up to a year at a state lab, but a rapid DNA machine could have results in 90 minutes to two hours, the Bellingham police chief told city council members Monday.

In a pristine lab environment, a blue-gloved technician adds a vial of blood to a centrifuge rack.
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(TNS) — The Bellingham Police Department is applying for a federal grant to buy a rapid DNA machine, hoping that it will help solve crimes without the current delays of up to a year at the state lab.

A rapid DNA machine can produce results in 90 minutes to two hours, Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig told the Bellingham City Council at a meeting Monday night.

“I love it when technology catches up with television. Because if you watch ‘CSI,’ those results are probably available within a (60-minute) show. But we’re getting closer and closer to that as being a reality with this technology,” Mertzig said.

Mertzig said the machine could be useful in two ways:

  • In a criminal investigation, the results of DNA evidence from a suspect or person of interest at a crime scene could be entered into a national database to check quickly for a match to a convicted criminal.

  • For victims, it could provide faster identification of unrecognizable human remains.

“We would use this to generate investigative leads. It does not replace traditional DNA processing, so if we were to get a match during this rapid DNA system, we would still send a sample to the lab for comparison testing using the traditional way,” Mertzig said. “Arrests are not made solely on rapid DNA identification. We’d have to have other evidence, and the standard is still probable cause in order to make an arrest.”

According to rules set by the U.S. Department of Justice, the city is required to hold a public hearing before the police can apply for the $440,000 grant, which will pay for the machine and three years’ worth of supplies, such as swabs and containers.

No one spoke against the application, but the council will keep the record open for written comment through March 11. No City Council vote is required.

Several local public agencies and organizations sent letters that endorsed the idea. Kendra Cristelli of the Support Officers Community Care of Whatcom County spoke in favor at the City Council meeting on Monday.

Cristelli said that the machine can save families months of anguish while waiting for DNA identification of a crime victim.

“You can only imagine the compounded stress of delay of proper closure that causes,” she said.

Councilwoman Lisa Anderson said she hopes that the grant is awarded.

"Any tool we have to be able to help (the identification) process for a victim and be able to find the individual (responsible for a crime), we should be investing in that,” Anderson said.

©2024 The Bellingham Herald, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.