DNA helps solve burglaries

The LAPD says that in a study it ran in the Valley, DNA samples collected at the scene of residential and commercial burglaries helped identify a suspect in 45 percent of cases. The stats: 390 crime scenes, 78 "hits" to a previously convicted offender, 51 arrests. "The National Institute of Justice funded a five city program to evaluate the cost effectiveness of using DNA technology to solve property crimes. In addition to Los Angeles, the other program sites were: Orange County, California; Denver, Colorado; Topeka, Kansas; and Phoenix, Arizona," says the LAPD blog.