Department of Public Safety establishes owed DNA collection with Alaskan law enforcement agencies

WASILLA — The Alaska Department of Public Safety along with local and state law enforcement partners recently started collecting nearly 20,000 DNA samples that are lawfully owed to the State of Alaska.

Governor Mike Dunleavy announced the new initiative to collect all lawfully owed DNA that had been missed for a variety of reasons over the last 25 years in August of 2021, according to a recent press release.

“Collecting DNA that has been owed for decades will take time, but the Alaska Department of Public Safety, as well as our local and state law enforcement partners, are committed to ensuring that the law is followed and this DNA is collected,” Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell stated in the press release. “This initiative will ensure that our DNA databases are up to date to not only ensure that offenders are properly identified, but also to help solve cold cases and other crimes that will bring closure to survivors.”

According to the press release, the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Alaska Department of Corrections, and other law enforcement agencies in Alaska have since combined their efforts to define the process that will allow for the collection.

An official memorandum of understanding was established between the DPS and DOC to collect owed DNA during the booking process at state correctional facilities in November of 2021.

DOC has also compared their list of individuals that are currently in custody or are on probation, pretrial, or parole supervision to ensure that those individuals’ DNA has been collected in situations where required.

DPS updated the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) to alert law enforcement anytime they have contact with an individual that currently owes DNA in January.

This alert will enable the law enforcement officer to collect the owed DNA during the contact.

Alaskan law enforcement agencies can now utilize a list of individuals who are believed to live within their area of responsibility to begin proactive efforts to collect owed DNA.

This effort was initially delayed due to supply chain issues related to the swabs and collection kits that are also used for COVID-19 testing.

Approximately 425 owed DNA samples have been collected from the DNA identified in August 2021.

“Today, we’re making progress with the first 425 DNA samples newly collected from people who were arrested or convicted of crimes like assault, robbery, murder, and manslaughter,” Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy stated in the press release. “There’s no question that DNA evidence is an indispensable tool in the fight for justice. Collecting it has been the hard part, and I am grateful for the Troopers, Correctional Officers, Police Officers, and Probation Officers that are helping close this decades-old gap in an effort to make our state safer.”

Individuals that believe that their DNA is currently owed to the State of Alaska can report to their nearest Alaska State Trooper post or local police department during normal business hours to submit their DNA.

Alaskans that were arrested or convicted for certain crimes starting in 1995 that did not submit DNA upon arrest may be required to submit their DNA and they can visit the DPS website to check if they have missing DNA.

For more information, visit dps.alaska.gov/dnacheck.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com