The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has announced a pilot with ANDE Corporation to “harness the power” offered by Rapid DNA in criminal investigations. EPS becomes the first police service in Canada to pilot the ANDE Rapid DNA Identification System in an effort to solve crimes faster and expedite closure for victims.
The ANDE Rapid DNA Identification System is a “scientifically-proven technology that generates a DNA identification from forensic samples in less than two hours.” Although the processing steps and data interpretation in the Rapid DNA system are essentially identical to those used in conventional labs, with Rapid DNA, the samples are processed and the resulting data interpreted automatically, according to the company.
The DNA ID is based on the size of approximately 20 fragments of “junk DNA” and does not re-veal information about an individual’s appearance or medical or behavioural conditions. This level of privacy removes human bias, delivering objective information to inform investigations.
The pilot will run for 90 days and will be managed out of the EPS Forensic Services Branch.
“Policing as a whole is transforming, and a significant component to our strategy is leveraging technologies that can create immediate value and impact,” said Chief of Police Dale McFee. “We are pleased to be piloting the use of Rapid DNA for a public safety mission here in Canada, and we are looking forward to the results of this trial.”
Insp. Devin Laforce, added: “The EPS has been watching Rapid DNA continue to develop over the past several years, and we now need to see how it actually works in real life conditions. It is important that we do what we can to solve crime, and tools like this can make a difference.”
Alex Kottoor, Canada’s managing director at ANDE, noted this project will be “revolutionary” for the City of Edmonton, and, as a force multiplier, could become an “integral part of every community safety and crime reduction strategy across the nation.”
The company also noted ANDE was recently used to identify the victims in California of the 2018 Camp Fire as well as the September Conception boat fire.
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