Despite Gov. Jim Doyle's budget allocation for 15 new DNA analysts, officials reiterated the State Crime Laboratory's need for 16 more before a joint Assembly committee Thursday.

The Judiciary and Ethics Committee and the Criminal Justice Committee heard testimonies from law enforcement officials, including Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, who supports funding for 31 new DNA analysts to eliminate the crime lab's 1,700-case backlog.

Van Hollen said hiring 31 additional analysts, costing $7.7 million total, by July 1 would help reduce the backlog by 2010. Fewer positions at a later time would delay reducing the backlog, officials said.

The backlog is a result of the increased use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations.

Jeff Greipp, assistant district administrator of Milwaukee County, said lawmakers "must understand what the backlog does to the victims," who are forced to wait anxiously while a criminal is released from custody.

"Someone on the shelf is a criminal, a possible serial offender who could commit another crime while the DNA sample awaits processing," he added.

Van Hollen said the crime lab has improved its efficiency to 55 cases per analyst per year, which is "better than the national productivity rate."

The implementation of new robotic technologies in 2009 could further improve the crime lab's efficiency by 50 percent, Van Hollen added.

Committee chairs Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin, and Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, focused the committee on determining the severity of the backlog and the necessity of hiring additional analysts.
Gundrum said supporting additional analysts would improve community safety and increase the speed at which DNA samples are brought to court.

"A lot of the estimates of cost in no way include the real tangible savings," Gundrum said.

With the backlog growing by approximately 100 cases per month, Van Hollen stressed the need for immediate action, both to reduce the backlog and to prevent outsourcing future cases.

Van Hollen said outsourcing can cost nearly $7,200 per case, roughly double the cost of conducting tests at state crime labs. Reviewing outsourced cases and contacting outside expert witnesses for court testimony is not included in the estimate.

It currently takes DNA samples 8-12 months to reach courts, according to Tim Baxter of the Wisconsin District Attorney's Association.