The Return on Investment from Rapid DNA Testing of Sexual Assault Kits

Abstract

The growing queue for DNA analysis in crime laboratories has prevented the analysis from providing investigative leads as turnaround time has grown, limiting the analytical results to a confirmatory role in the courtroom. Rapid DNA technology offers an opportunity to employ an automated system for the development of a DNA profile. The Rapid DNA technology permits a police booking station to take a buccal swab obtained from an arrestee, acquire a DNA profile, and test that profile against a DNA database, all while the arrestee remains in police custody during the booking process. Rapid DNA technologies are a capital-intensive system enabling sophisticated equipment designed for operation by individuals with limited technical training to provide investigative leads with immediate support. We present the testing of rapid DNA technology in a trial program conducted by the Kentucky State Police Forensic Laboratory. The Kentucky test confirms the efficacy of the rapid DNA testing as consistent with the findings from traditional laboratory testing. The economic analysis related to testing indicates that the time saving from the rapid DNA analysis yields benefits that far outweigh the costs from the change in technology.

Review of direct PCR and Rapid DNA approaches to streamline sexual assault kit testing

“…Overall, this developmental validation provides strong support for the use and further exploration of Rapid DNA methods for processing a wide variety of casework samples, including sample types that are commonly collected during sexual assault investigations. Furthermore, the Kentucky State Police conducted a pilot study in 2019 that tested casework sexual assault samples with the ANDE Rapid DNA system, making Kentucky the first state in the U.S. to use a Rapid DNA approach to generate successful investigative leads in sexual assault cases [64,94]. The authors reported saving 261 days in turnaround time with Rapid DNA testing, as well as a minimal cost difference of ~$500 more compared to the laboratory’s cost for their traditional testing of a sexual assault kit [64].…”

“…Furthermore, the Kentucky State Police conducted a pilot study in 2019 that tested casework sexual assault samples with the ANDE Rapid DNA system, making Kentucky the first state in the U.S. to use a Rapid DNA approach to generate successful investigative leads in sexual assault cases [64,94]. The authors reported saving 261 days in turnaround time with Rapid DNA testing, as well as a minimal cost difference of ~$500 more compared to the laboratory’s cost for their traditional testing of a sexual assault kit [64]. A forensic laboratory in Singapore has also reported success in generating leads for a variety of urgent casework samples using GlobalFiler Express chemistry on a RapidHIT 200 [61].…”

“…Single-source semen samples overall had the lowest first-pass success rates (samples with at least 16 CODIS or FlexPlex27 loci) with 82%-84% for semen stains and neat semen, respectively [63]. These rates were improved to 94%-98% after performing a second run on the samples that did not initially pass, by re-collecting the sample and using the same parameters and methods as the first run [63] [64,94]. The authors reported saving 261 days in turnaround time with Rapid DNA testing, as well as a minimal cost difference of ~$500 more compared to the laboratory's cost for their traditional testing of a sexual assault kit [64].…”

“…These rates were improved to 94%-98% after performing a second run on the samples that did not initially pass, by re-collecting the sample and using the same parameters and methods as the first run [63] [64,94]. The authors reported saving 261 days in turnaround time with Rapid DNA testing, as well as a minimal cost difference of ~$500 more compared to the laboratory's cost for their traditional testing of a sexual assault kit [64]. A forensic laboratory in Singapore has also reported success in generating leads for a variety of urgent casework samples using GlobalFiler Express chemistry on a RapidHIT 200 [61].…”

Interpol review of forensic management, 2019–2022

“…This technology Working Group produced white papers on several new technologies and continues to assess emerging technology questions (NIJ Forensic Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (FLN-TWG), 2021a, 2021b, 2021c, 2021d). Elsewhere, return on investment reviews of new technology inform the industry of the economic value of new technologies [ 68 ].…”