Feature: DNA Helps Solve Burglaries

Teams in five cities participated in a field experiment to see if using DNA forensic methods helped solve property crimes, especially residential burglaries. The result:

• Cases with DNA evidence yielded twice as many suspects and more than twice as many cases accepted for prosecution.

• Suspects in cases with DNA evidence also had far more serious rap sheets-on average twice as many prior arrests and convictions. Catching burglary suspects seems likely to have a high payoff in reducing not only burglaries, but other serious crimes as well.

• Officers who collected the DNA at the crime scene needed minimal training. Patrol officers were no less likely to obtain good samples than forensic technicians.

Read about the property crimes experiment.

Read a summary from the evaluator's report (pdf, 164 pages).