Rep. Greg Stanton announced today that a $600,000 federal investment that he secured for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to purchase RapidHIT DNA enhancement technology has been included in a House appropriations bill.
RapidHIT DNA technology is a proven tool that allows law enforcement to process DNA samples quickly and get criminals off the street faster. The instruments can generate lab-quality forensic DNA profiles in as little as 90 minutes, as opposed to the weeks or months it can take for results to come back from the state crime lab due to backlogs and higher priority casework. The funds Stanton secured will be used to purchase two of these tools.
“For far too long, the State of Arizona hasn’t put in enough resources to keep up in our crime labs. More and more, law enforcement agencies across the state are turning to MCSO,” said Stanton. “This investment is a big deal. It will help ease the backlog in crime labs, bring closure to victims and families more quickly, and make our community a safer place to live.”
“The most impactful part of having this equipment readily accessible is our ability to be proactive in efforts to prevent the next crime. The opportunity to have such advanced equipment for this office—and for public safety in general—is a considerable investment on behalf of our communities,” Penzone said. “Thank you to Congressman Stanton for being a good friend to public safety.”
“Adding this rapid-hit DNA capability into their arsenal of tools is going to allow us to better serve our community with the latest technology and continue to be a resource for law enforcement throughout the state,” Deputy Chief Frank McWilliams of MCSO’s Investigations Bureau said.
“Rather than spending hours, days, or months looking for DNA analysis to be completed by a state laboratory, we are allowed to use this very quick technology. This is a gamechanger for MCSO, which does not have a full-scale DNA lab,” Senior Crime Lab Analyst Kelly Donaldson said.
Photos from the press conference are available HERE. Video is available HERE.