News
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News From DNA: SI Labs
- ROCIS and DNA:SI Labs in Training Partnership
- Danus promoted to Technical Leader Position
- DNA:SI Labs Appoints New Laboratory Director
- Palm Bay PD wins international award for LODIS™
ROCIC and DNA:SI Labs in Training Partnership
DNA:SI Labs presented touch/contact DNA collection methods and
Local DNA Index Systems at the recent Regional Organized Crime Information
Center Homicide Investigator Training Seminar in Charleston, WV, held
10/19-21/2009. ROCIC is one of six NIJ funded RISS - Regional Information
Sharing Systems programs in the United States.
DNA:SI and ROCIC look forward to an ongoing partnership bringing advanced
technology to law enforcement for purposes of criminal investigations. On
January 27, 2010, DNA:SI provided a training session for law enforcement
investigators at ROCIC headquarters in Nashville, TN.
The Houston County Texas Sheriff’s Office will host DNA Collection and Local DNA Index Training in Crocket, TX on February 24, 2010 to continue the ROCIC–DNA:SI training collaboration.
Additional training sessions are being schedule throughout the Southeast region.
Follow DNA:SI Labs and developments in LODIS -Local DNA Index System project on http://twitter.com/DNASI
Mark Danus, MSFS has been promoted to Technical Leader of the forensic testing laboratory effective July 1, 2009. Mark joined the laboratory in June of 2008 as the Manager of Laboratory Operations. Within his first six months with the lab, Mr. Danus was awarded his Masters Degree in Forensic Science from Towson University. Mark has nine years of experience in the field of genetic testing, including five years in the field of forensic DNA analysis. He has been qualified as a forensic expert in the fields of STR analysis and serology in the State of Maryland. Mr. Danus is also an active member in the Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists.
DNA:SI Labs would like to thank Ms. Julie Golden for all her work during her time as the Technical Leader. Ms. Golden was appointed DNA Technical Leader of the ASCLD/LAB accredited laboratory in Burlington, NC in January 2008. She will continue to contribute her expertise as a consultant.
Jodine A. Zane, MSFS was appointed Laboratory Director of DNA:SI Labs, the ASCLD/LAB accredited forensic DNA laboratory in Burlington, NC. Ms. Zane was hired in September 2008 as a Senior Forensic Analyst and LODIS Manager and came to DNA:SI Labs with 12 years of experience in forensic DNA laboratories affiliated with Maryland law enforcement agencies. Ms. Zane has testified in forensic serology and forensic DNA analysis numerous time throughout Maryland. Ms. Zane's previous experience includes positions as a forensic DNA analyst, CODIS Administrator, and DNA Database Supervisor of the Maryland State Police Forensic Services Division. Ms. Zane is also and active member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists, and is a ASCLD/LAB inspector and a qualified forensic DNA auditor.
December 2008
The Palm Bay Police Department has earned international recognition after being presented with the “August Vollmer Award” for Excellence in Forensic Science by a Law Enforcement Agency. The award was presented to Chief Bill Berger at the recent International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in San Diego for the LODIS project. LODIS is a first of its kind Local DNA Index System. Through a partnership with DNA:SI Labs in North Carolina, Palm Bay developed a significant database comprised of DNA profiles from local offenders committing common property crimes. The database has yielded hundreds of matches and has solved a number of crimes that normally would have gone unsolved. “The most unique aspects of LODIS are that it is a patrol-based program and results are returned within days and weeks, not months and years,” said Major John Blackledge, the Department’s project manager. “DNA is collected by the patrol officers and the results are reported back to them directly. Probably the most significant is that officers are notified by email when there is a match and can view the results from their laptops right in their patrol cars. There is nowhere else in the world where this is done, except here in Palm Bay.” Blackledge credits LODIS as contributing to a reported 22% decrease in Palm Bay crime as documented in the first six months of the Uniform Crime Report. The decrease is a comparison of the first 6 months of 2007 to 2008. During the same time period Palm Bay saw an estimated 60% reduction of property loss. “Until LODIS, DNA was primarily used as evidence in court to confirm other investigative processes that tend to be less reliable and not scientifically sound,” said Chief Berger. “We have put DNA on a fast track so that we can use it early in an investigation to identify criminals who commit our most common property crimes. Without DNA:SI Labs this project would not have been possible. This is a perfect example of a private-public partnership where everyone wins, except the criminals.”
The Vollmer award is named for one of the first Police Chiefs to serve as President of the IACP in the early 1900’s. Vollmer was a pioneer of early law enforcement in California and was responsible for many innovations that improved the capability of police to fight crime. The Vollmer Award was one of two awards the Department received for its work in partnership with DNA:SI Labs. The Department also received runner up recognition for LODIS with the IACP/Choice Point Excellence in Criminal Investigations award.