Industry News: FBI approves Thermo Fisher Scientific's rapid DNA solution for use in law enforcement booking stations

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has approved Thermo Fisher Scientific's Applied Biosystems RapidHIT ID DNA Booking System for use by law enforcement booking stations to automatically process, upload and search DNA reference samples from qualifying arrestees against the U.S. National DNA Index System (NDIS) CODIS database.

The RapidHIT ID DNA Booking System is a fully automated, sample-to-answer genetic analyzer, allowing for an arrestee DNA sample to be processed, enrolled and searched in CODIS in approximately 90 minutes. This provides actionable information to quickly inform investigations, capture repeat offenders and exonerate the innocent—helping to make communities safer.

Developed specifically with the booking station in mind, the RapidHIT ID DNA Booking system is the first biometric crime fighting tool that enables:

• High success rates with a wide range of commonly used DNA collection swabs,
• Seamless integration of DNA profiles with Live Scan terminals and other biometric information systems to align with FBI, state and agency requirements,
• Real-time analysis allowing for cost-efficient single-sample processing—no need to batch multiple arrestee samples,
• Embedded auditing, reporting and training tools that make it easy to maintain security and compliance with FBI guidelines, including automated record deletion and expungement controls.

Supported by a world-class network of training, service and support experts, the RapidHIT ID DNA Booking System enables law enforcement agencies to conserve valuable investigative and DNA laboratory resources, reducing criminal justice system costs while increasing public safety.

"Rapid DNA analysis at the point of booking is a powerful investigative tool that can quickly and safely link arrested individuals with other serious crimes, thereby providing significant benefits to public safety," said Joanie Brocato, former DNA manager at the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory and current department head of the Clinical Laboratory Science program at Louisiana State University Health Science Center.

Brocato added, "DNA processing and searching, while the suspect is in custody, significantly reduces the time to identify or eliminate a potential suspect and decreases the opportunity for reoffending or fleeing. It also helps to further close the gaps on missed arrestee collections that occur today. The FBI NDIS approval demonstrates that rapid DNA in a booking station can be used responsibly, in a manner that maintains the quality and integrity of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), while assisting law enforcement in expediting the identification of potential perpetrators."

"NDIS approval of the RapidHIT ID DNA Booking System is a crucial step in supporting the FBI's vision of searching CODIS while a qualifying arrestee is in police custody," said Martin Guillet, vice president and general manager, human identification at Thermo Fisher Scientific." We remain committed to partnering with the criminal justice community to ensure booking station implementation is a success, and to maintaining the standards of quality and integrity set forth by the forensics community."

Thermo Fisher Scientific has supported criminal justice professionals with gold standard DNA and drug testing technologies and services for more than 30 years.

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