Queensland leads the way with national DNA database

Queenslandrecently signed an arrangement with the Commonwealth for DNA matching - ensuring that Queensland remains a leading DNA matching jurisdiction in Australia.

Above: Valerie Caldwell, Scientist, Major Crime - the improved ability for Queensland to compare DNA profiles against other jurisdictions gives police a better chance to solve crime, including 'cold cases'.

As a result, Queensland Police can now match evidentiary DNA profiles with profiles provided by the Commonwealth, Western Australia and the Northern Territory on the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database (NCIDD) at CrimTrac in Canberra.

Queensland was the first state to load and share data on the new national DNA database.

Superintendent Paul Stewart from the Queensland Police Forensic Services Branch calculates that since 2002, DNA matching technology has been used to generate more than 7,800 suspects for a range of offences, including homicides, sexual assaults and property crime.

"With the support of forensic scientists from Queensland Health Scientific Services, DNA has become an important additional tool for investigating police to identify suspects and solve crime," Superintendent Stewart said.

"Increased mobility in today's society means police are finding that some criminals are moving from state to state. The improved ability for Queensland to compare DNA profiles against other jurisdictions gives police a better chance to solve crime, including 'cold cases'.

Above: Mitchell Finger, Scientist, Major Crime - Queensland has developed the leading DNA forensic information system in Australia.

"The high level of cooperation between Queensland Health Scientific Services and the Queensland Police Service underpins the successful introduction of forensic DNA matching in Queensland," he said.

Queensland has also developed the leading DNA forensic information system in Australia, interfacing systems from Queensland Police and Queensland Health to provide profiles to CrimTrac. The Queensland system provides:

• the use of standard barcode identification from the crime scene to the laboratory
• integrated information between police forensic officers and forensic scientists in Queensland Health to enhance efficiencies
• enhanced standards and quality assurance in case and information management for forensic staff in both organisations
• joint prioritisation and DNA management processes
• integrated results management process linking DNA and fingerprints.

Director of Queensland Health's Scientific Services Greg Shaw said the integration of Queensland Health's Auslab information system with the Queensland Police Forensic Register is identified as being critical to the success of DNA testing in Queensland.

"Through our close relationship with Queensland Police we have been able to continually improve our system integration into today's seamless operation, where data is transferred on a regular basis, improving efficiencies
and results," Mr Shaw said.

"We have also increased resources in the DNA analytical area within Queensland Health Scientific Services, substantially reducing the number of exhibits waiting to be tested.

Queensland Health is now providing real time DNA analytical services to the Queensland Police and receiving many positive results.

Combined with Western Australia, Northern Territory, and the Commonwealth, Queensland has contributed to more than 180,000 DNA profiles from people and crime scenes on the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database for comparison.

"In Queensland alone, more than 84,000 person samples and 10,000 crime scene samples have been loaded. New unsolved crime scene DNA profiles and new person profiles are being loaded all the time," Mr Shaw said.

By last December, 115 Queensland crime scenes, ranging from break and enters to more serious sexual offences and robberies, were linked to interstate people through the national database, in addition to the thousands of links within Queensland.

More specifically, 59 Queensland crime scenes were linked to people in Western Australia, and 56 crime scenes were linked to people in the Northern Territory.

Two case studies highlight just how Interstate DNA matching can help police investigations -

• In 1993 a man allegedly raped a female in Mitchelton.
  An unidentified male profile was obtained from crime scene samples and put on the national database. The Queensland sample linked to the profile of a 35 year old man from the Northern Territory. He has been extradited, and legal proceedings have commenced.
• In 1998 a man sexually assaulted a woman at Surfers Paradise. Crime scene samples were loaded onto the national database and a link was established with a man already listed on the Western Australian DNA database. A brief of evidence has been compiled for extradition purposes.

Negotiations are continuing with the remaining states and the ACT to increase the DNA matching capabilities to include all jurisdictions in Australia.

glanville.cassandral@police.qld.gov.au

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