With little progress in collecting owed DNA, one DA's office hits the streets to shrink their backlog

Northampton police Officer Heather Longley patrols to locate individuals who owe DNA samples to the state. The Northwestern DA's Office leads this initiative to reduce a backlog exceeding 9,000 cases in Massachusetts, where individuals convicted of felonies must provide DNA samples. The effort includes actively seeking non-compliant individuals and assisting them in fulfilling their legal obligations, such as offering rides to DNA collection sites. The national CODIS database, maintained by the FBI, relies on these DNA profiles to solve crimes by matching DNA from crime scenes with known offenders. Steven Gagne, first assistant district attorney, highlights the initiative's goal of increasing compliance to aid in solving cold cases.

Despite previous efforts, the backlog has only decreased from 12,000 to 9,000. The DA's office is prepared to prosecute those who ignore compliance notices, reinforcing the importance of adhering to the law. This initiative represents a significant step toward leveraging forensic science to enhance public safety.