FBI, This Week: Rapid DNA Analysis Initiative

An FBI initiative seeks to enhance public safety and national security through advanced technology that can develop a DNA profile from a cheek swab within just two hours.

Audio Transcript

Halpern: An FBI initiative seeks to enhance public safety and national security through advanced DNA technology.

Rapid DNA Analysis is the automated process of developing a DNA profile from a cheek swab within just two hours.

Section Chief Tina Delgado at the FBI’s Laboratory explains…

Tina Delgado: This machine is able to take fresh, copious amounts of DNA, and is able to actually, without any human intervention, put it through a series of reactions that go through in this closed system, and, at the end of it, we’ll have a fully interpreted DNA profile.

Halpern: The FBI is working to incorporate the technology into booking stations across the country, where DNA samples from suspects can be lawfully analyzed.

The DNA profiles could then be run against the nation’s Index of Special Concern to see if the suspects are wanted for additional violent unsolved crimes. If so, law enforcement can…

Delgado: …keep a person in custody, if appropriate, based on the speed of this information, is really exciting. And, it’s really exciting in terms of recidivism and preventing future crimes. These are really major incidents that we could be identifying the perpetrator of in real time.

Halpern: The Bureau is prepping to pilot this initiative in major metropolitan cities in 2019.

For more information, visit www.fbi.gov. With FBI, This Week, I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau.

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