Politics & Government

Video: DNA Crime Lab Aims to Solve LA County Crimes

The Verdugo Regional Crime Laboratory will serve South Pas, Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena police departments.

Tri-city police forces can now solve crimes by collecting DNA from sweat, clothing, hair samples, blood or semen in a new laboratory. 

The Verdugo Regional Crime Laboratory will open in May, serving the Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena police departments. Officials expect to process about 400 to 600 samples of DNA each month in sexual assault, financial, property or burglary crimes.

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) helped secure the nearly $1.5 million federally funded project for the DNA lab, according to a news release. The forensic labratory technology, will examine fingerprints, computer forensics, DNA and firearms--similar to the DNA scenes on the television show CSI. 

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Schiff believes that this DNA crime lab will not only help solve crimes in the tri-city area, but throughout Los Angeles County. 

plans to use the crime lab, says Police Chief Joe Payne. 

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"With the prevalence of DNA evidence and the need for expedited testing, especially where the evidence is from the scene of a violent crime, speed is critical in a successful investigation and taking a dangerous person off the streets," he said. 

The facility has advanced technology to process all types of evidence, including fingerprints, DNA samples, clothing, knives, cartridge casings and firearms. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms partnered with NIBIN—National Integrated Ballistic Information Network—a system that analyzes bullets, cartridge casings and guns to match crimes. Using 3D-image technology, ATF can identify if crimes match by the headstamp from a cartridge casing. 

This new DNA lab will help South Pas Police solve crimes like the —among others. 

"Many times, a fingerprint is unusable because it is smudged and can’t be used for comparison reasons," said Payne.

"The collection of the body oils that leave the print behind could potentially be used to create a DNA profile. It is the new frontier in identifying suspect(s) at a crime scene."


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