The backlog of DNA sampling in Kansas is being reduced thanks to $1 million in new state funding, state Attorney General Steve Six said Wednesday.
Six said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation has slimmed down the backlog of more than 38,000 unprocessed DNA samples in September 2009 to just over 11,000 as of late August. The samples were taken from people under arrest and collected at crime scenes.
"An issue local prosecutors and law enforcement officials brought to me time and time again is the delay in processing DNA samples that are crucial to bringing criminals to justice," Six said.
The attorney general said recent changes in Kansas law required not only those convicted of crimes but those arrested to give DNA samples, creating the backlog for processing. The backlog was reduced starting with the oldest samples from arrested individuals first.
KBI Director Bob Blecca said the reduction has led to matches with crimes under investigation in Kansas and other states.
"This has been a tremendous boost," he said
