Burglar beware

The DNA you leave at a crime could put you behind bars
In the past, DNA was mostly used to solve violent crimes, such as homicides and sexual assaults. But as DNA testing has advanced, it's being used more often to solve property crimes, such as burglaries, auto thefts and larcenies.
"Probably the reason it wasn't is the early types of DNA testing you needed a lot more sample," said David Coffman, chief of forensic services at the FDLE's Tallahassee Regional Operations Center. "A lot of burglary cases were not suitable for DNA testing because there literally wasn't enough sample to test."
In 2007, the FDLE's Pensacola crime lab identified suspects in 70 burglaries using the state's DNA database.
Source: www.pnj.com
Austin police using DNA to solve thefts
More than a decade after DNA testing became one of law enforcement's best methods for solving violent crimes, Austin police have joined a small group of police departments that use it to crack routine property crimes.
DNA evidence such as saliva or drops of blood have helped Austin police crack otherwise hard-to-solve cases.
"When we first started hearing about DNA, I didn't expect it would be used on crimes like this," said Detective Michael Sanford "But we are always looking for as much evidence as we can get."
Police say they have submitted DNA evidence from about 50 property crime scenes in the city this year — a tiny percentage of the roughly 38,000 property crimes reported — and identified 10 suspects by comparing it with DNA profiles in a national database of criminals.
Source: www.chron.com