Changes in state law at the past legislative session have made it necessary for Lincoln County to designate the Metro Crime Lab in Las Vegas as the lab of choice to have any DNA samples tested for genetic markers pursuant to NRS 176.0913 and 176.0916.
Sheriff Lee said a law was enacted several years ago “requiring law enforcement to obtain DNA samples from specific felonies crimes, not all, just certain crimes, after the person was convicted.”
The sample was then sent to a DNA bank for storage and entrance into a national database that could be run against DNA samples in the future.
However, this spring, the 77th Nevada Legislative session enacted a new law which states that beginning in July 2014, DNA samples are required to be collected from all felony arrests prior to conviction. “If you are arrested on a felony, you will be swabbed for a DNA sample.”
Nevada is broken into two parts, in the southern part the DNA bank is at Metro in Las Vegas, and the northern half goes to Reno Crime Lab.
Lee said Lincoln County had to “designate Metro as our collection point, and in the future, crimes at the time can be run against those DNA samples for possible matches.”
He added, “We already work really closely with the Crime Lab, all of our blood, urine, tissue, even fingerprint evidence goes there anyway. It’s an amazing lab, and have been of great help to us. Good people, have worked really well with us, we are fortunate to have them.”
