Last year District 48 State Senator Mark Messmer of Jasper co-authored legislation requiring DNA samples to be taken via cheek swab when an individual is arrested for a felony — similar to how fingerprints and photographs are collected when they are arrested.
Messmer says the law put Indiana in line with 30 other states with similar policies and gave law enforcement a helpful tool to find criminals and bring them to justice……
According to data released from the Indiana State Police, since Senate Enrollment Act 322 went into effect, state police have received matches to both new and old criminal investigations. Messmer says in fact, the very first batch of data sent to the Combined DNA Index System contained a match to a rape investigation that had remained unsolved since 2016. Between January and July 2018, the Combined DNA Index System confirmed more than 500 DNA hits — about 200 of which would likely not have been possible without this law.
With the help of this legislation, Messmer says he hopes to see victims and their families get the closure they deserve when offenders are brought to justice.
As always, feel free to contact Messmer’s office directly with your questions and concerns by email at Senator.Messmer@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.
