CODIS Newsletter Oct 2010 - Washington State Patrol

W a s h i n g t o nS t a t e P a t r o lC O D I S C r i m eL a b o r a t o r yTheCOmbined DNA Index SystemNewsletterc o n f e l @ w s p . w a . g o vO c t o b e r 2 0 1 0Help the CODIS Lab Save MoneyIn thisissue:How to takegreat thumbprintsQ & ATrainingOpportunitiesIn these challenging economictimes, everyone islooking for new ways to savemoney and reduce waste,the CODIS Laboratoryincluded. There are anumber of ways that youand your agency can help usbe good stewards of taxpayerdollars.Each convicted offender DNAsample costs about $16 toprocess, not including personnelcosts. If a sample isWhen the CODIS laboratoryreceives duplicate samples,the collection cards are filedaway and not processedfurther because theoffender’s DNA profile isalready in the database.On the rapsheet, the “DNATaken” field will indicateeither “Y” or “N”. Access tocriminal histories can beobtained through theWATCH search engine (seebelow for more information).Alternatively, you mayalways call the laboratory;we are more than happy toprovide you with theappropriate information.Taking quality thumbprintscan also make a bigWhere topurchasefingerprintingsuppliesContactinformationweak and doesn’t produce afull profile during the firstround of testing, CODISscientists must performextra work, which is bothtime-consuming andexpensive. In fact, the totalcost jumps to approximately$40 per weak sample. Yourdiligence in collectingquality, strong samples willgreatly reduce the amountof re-work required.Of the total cost to process aDNA sample, $3.30 goestoward providing thecollection kit to your agency.Weak (left) & strong (right)samplesCurrently, the laboratoryreceives about 1500samples each month and theduplicate rate is nearly 20%.Over the course of a year,that means nearly $12,000is spent on samples that didnot need to be collected.One way that you can helpus reduce waste in this areais to check the offender’scriminal history to seewhether he or she hasalready submitted a sample.difference. Every samplethat must be re-collectedbecause of poor prints isanother $3.30 that couldhave been saved. We alsounderstand that bad printshappen occasionally, nomatter how conscientiousyou are. Rather thanthrowing out the entire cardand starting over, use reprinttabs, as described onpage 2 of this newsletter.By following theseguidelines, you’ll not onlyhelp save money—you’ll besaving yourself time as well!WATCH Address Has ChangedIn order to improve security and performance, the WATCH address haschanged to: http://watchcj.wsp.wa.gov/Access to WATCH is free for criminal justice agencies. If you would like toset up an account, click on the “Forms” link on the left side of the mainWATCH homepage to download an application.

P a g e 2Fingerprinting GuidelinesMarianne labelingDNA samplesHere are some helpful hints from theFingerprint Technicians at WSP’sCriminal Records Division:1. The best type of inkpad to use is aPorelon® pad. This special type ofpad prevents too much ink frombinding to the offender’s thumb,which is a common problem seenwith prints submitted to the CODISLaboratory. Each pad will last forthousands of prints.2. Avoid using too much pressure bygrabbing the offender’s thumb atthe knuckle and lightly pressing itto the card. This will allow forproper ridge detail and decreasesmudging.3. If an offender has sweaty hands,wiping with an alcohol swab is helpful.4. If a print comes out poorly, use anadhesive backed re-tab to cover it onthe submission card, rather than usinga new card. If an offender isuncooperative, try putting severalre-tabs on the edge of a desk andaffix the best one to the submissioncard. Please do not stack more thanone re-tab on top of the other.DNA Fun Fact:Identical twinsshare the sameDNA profile, buttheir fingerprintsare different.Q & AWhy are thumbprints required?The CODIS Laboratory uses thumbprints to verify anoffender’s identity. This is a very important step whenconfirming CODIS hits and adds an extra layer of qualitycontrol to our results.What happens to the convicted offender DNAsamples submitted to the lab?Each sample and submission card is evaluated to ensurethat it meets our acceptance policies. Samples are thenlabeled with a unique laboratory case number and storeduntil DNA typing is conducted. All DNA typing results arereviewed by another CODIS scientist before being enteredinto the state CODIS database. New profiles are uploadedto the national CODIS database every week. Theconvicted offender profiles at the state and national levelsof CODIS are searched regularly against DNA from crimescenes. The goal of these searches is to match unsolvedcasework forensic samples to the DNA profiles of convictedoffenders (a “CODIS hit”). The CODIS Lab re-types thesample to confirm the hit and the name of the convictedoffender is released to the investigating detective. Thisprovides important information to help solve cases rangingfrom homicides to burglaries.C O m b i n e d D N A I n d e x S y s t e m

c o n f e l @ w s p . w a . g o vP a g e 3Q & A (continued)What ID number should I use ifan offender has no SID?In this case, a DOC number is acceptable.If a DOC number does not exist,use an FBI number, a local ID, or aSocial Security number, in that orderof preference.How many hits has WashingtonState had?Since June 2001, there have been1373 hits. There have been 252 hitsin 2010 so far.Can I abbreviate my agency’s nameon the submission card?Yes, but it must be specific. Forexample, “SCSO” might refer toSnohomish, Spokane, Skamania,Skagit, or Stevens County Sheriff’sOffice; “Sno Co SO” would beappropriate. For DOC field offices,please include the location; “DOC” isnot enough information for samples tobe entered into our internal database.Where can I buy the fingerprintingsupplies recommended in thisnewsletter?Porelon® inkpads and retabscan be purchased forvery reasonable prices atthe following vendors:Sirchie1(800)356-7311www.sirchie.comLightning Powder Co.1(800)852-0300www.redwop.comReminder:Please havenew staffwatch theDNAcollectiontrainingDVD!Training Opportunities AvailableThe CODIS Laboratory is stilloffering limited collector trainingto our agencies. The trainingtakes approximately onehour and covers: basics aboutCODIS, the CODIS Laboratory,and the ins and outs of convictedoffender DNA samplecollection. This is great way tofulfill continuing educationrequirements!If your agency is interested inhaving CODIS staff come toyour facility for collector training,please contact us at:confel@wsp.wa.govIf members of your agency arein the Seattle area and wouldlike to see the CODIS Laboratory,a tour may be possible.Although we can’t accommodatemany groups on a regularbasis, we do enjoy sharing alook inside our laboratory.Please contact us for moreinformation.Washington StatePatrol CODISCrime Laboratory2203 Airport Way SouthSuite 250Seattle, WA 98134Phone: (206)262-6020Fax: (206)262-6091E-mail: confel@wsp.wa.gov