Credit: Marion County Sheriff’s Office
On July 17, 2026, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) received approval as a partner agency in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Rapid DNA Program. This program is blazing the trail for other local agencies and states to begin or get more out of their rapid DNA programs.
Beginning in January 2025, MCSO’s DNA Screening Laboratory partnered with FDLE to bring FDLE’s Forensic Rapid DNA Program to life—the first program of this type in the nation. The goal was to expedite the processing of DNA samples gathered by MCSO to be entered into CODIS. This streamlined process allows for quicker results in linking serial violent crimes to each other and to known offenders.
Throughout the past year and a half, MCSO worked closely with FDLE to rewrite the lab’s DNA Screening Laboratory policies to meet ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accreditation standards. FDLE also created hundreds of DNA samples for MCSO to use to validate the rapid DNA instruments and ensure the generation of CODIS-worthy DNA profiles.
On July 17, MCSO was advised that the Forensic Rapid DNA program had been accredited and the agency was approved as a partner agency in the program.
On July 20, forensic DNA technicians processed their first two items of evidence through the Rapid DNA process. The next day, they received a CODIS hit, becoming the first law enforcement agency in the nation to receive a result via a rapid DNA system.
Before this program, the average turnaround time for receiving DNA analysis results in non-violent crime investigations was 466 days, and 170 days for violent crimes.
“I am proud of the professionalism and determination demonstrated by the individuals in our DNA Screening Laboratory to meet the standards required to pioneer FDLE’s Rapid DNA program. As we have already seen, this partnership will help bring swifter justice to those who seek to victimize the residents of our county,” said Sheriff Billy Woods.
Republished courtesy of Marion County Sheriff’s Office