Lexington to Utilize Private DNA Labs for Quick Case Resolution

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington law enforcement are soon to have an additional resource in expediting the DNA testing process in criminal investigations. This development is as a result of a proposal made by Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton during the city’s budget address.

Private DNA Testing to Accelerate Violent Crime Investigations

“We are going to go ahead and privatize our DNA testing,” Mayor Gorton stated during her address. “This is a big deal. We’ve got $150,000 in the budget to do this, and this accelerates our violent crime investigations.”

Swiftjustice: Privatized as Opposed to State DNA Labs

Conventionally, local law enforcement agencies send DNA evidence to state labs for processing. This procedure, however, often takes years for results to materialize. Lt. Brian Peterson of Lexington Police’s personal crimes section anticipates that the shift to private labs could result in results materializing within weeks, and sometimes, even sooner.

“The capability to decrease the waiting time from a period of years to a matter of weeks, sometimes shorter than that, really increases our chances of identifying, locating, and apprehending the perpetrators of these violent crimes, particularly homicides,” Lt. Peterson stated.

Policy Crafting and Case Prioritization

The police department is to create a policy guiding the decision on which samples will be sent to the state versus the private labs. Old cases with potential DNA evidence have also been revisited and prioritized to benefit from this technology and partnership, Sergeant Brandon Gibbs of Lexington Police’s personal crimes department confirmed.

Impact on Victims’ Families

This change in policy is not only beneficial to law enforcement but can also provide closure to victims’ families. For families like that of Andre Maxberry still searching for answers following the death of her grandsons to unknown gunmen, this could offer some form of justice.

“I don’t think there will ever be closure, but it would still be some type of justice served to where these kids can’t continue out in these streets thinking they can get away with murder,” Maxberry shared.

Upcoming Plans

Pending all processes going as planned, DNA evidence may start moving to a private lab as early as this summer.

This move demonstrates an innovative approach to solving cases and holding criminals accountable swiftly, leading to safer streets and more closure for the affected families.