INDIANAPOLIS -- A new Indiana law about DNA profiling is adding thousands of new samples to the state's DNA database.
Numbers indicate the Indiana State Police lab has had an average of 4,200 DNA samples tested each month from January to March this year, up from 1,100 a month last year. All state county jails are providing samples.
A state law that went into effect Jan. 1 requires police to collect a DNA cheek swab from those arrested on felony charges. The previous law only required those convicted of a felony to submit DNA samples.
"The idea here is to be able to search those people in the database much sooner in the process," said Kristine Crouch, who's in charge of the Combined DNA Index System. "The biggest thing that we were concerned about was would we be able to meet the needs, to be able to get them cataloged, get them entered and keep up with other duties."
The samples are entered into system and authorities can check to see if the DNA matches any other crime in the database in Indiana and the U.S. Officials hope the increased DNA profiling will help solve more crimes.
There were more than 70 matches in the system as a result of the new law. One DNA sample taken in January matched an unsolved rape investigation that started in 2016.
"We are very pleased with the results seen thus far and are confident more and more crimes will be solved with the combination of convicted and arrested persons samples being matched in the CODIS program," said Maj. Steve Holland, commander of the Indiana State Police Laboratory Division.
