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Overview
Laboratory Time and Resources
Interacting With Crime Laboratories
DNA Evidence: Probative Value and Prioritization
Communicating With the Prosecutor
Outsourcing Considerations
Leveraging Limited Resources
Avoiding Steep Costs
Communicating With the Legislature
Evidence Retention Policies
Best Practices for Handling “Cold Hits”
Offender Collection Statutes
Partial Matches
Familial Searching
Rapid DNA Technology
Resources, Guides and Best Practices

Avoiding Steep Costs

Limiting Duplication of Services and Tests

diagram of DNA evidence being sent to multiple laboratories for duplicate testing which is a waste of resources.

Agencies and laboratories may inadvertently duplicate services. For example, some agencies or health care facilities conduct preliminary and/or confirmatory tests for the presence of biological material, but do not inform the laboratory that the tests were conducted or of the results obtained.

Notifying the laboratory of this information means analysts could proceed directly to DNA testing, thus shortening the overall analysis time. Training first responders and victim crisis center personnel on how evidence is processed at the laboratory may help remedy this unnecessary duplication of effort.

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