WEST JORDAN UTAH POLICE

West Jordan Police Department Joins Forces with Microbial-Vac Systems and Sorenson Forensics to Improve DNA Recovery

WEST JORDAN, Utah (October 24, 2012)—The West Jordan Police Department (WJPD) Crime Scene Unit has come together with two Utah companies – Microbial-Vac Systems, Inc. (MSI), the leading innovator in pathogen and DNA surface sampling, and Sorenson Forensics, Inc., one of the nation’s leading DNA testing laboratories – to help police agencies improve DNA recovery at crime scenes and during evidence examinations.

Today, WJPD hosted a special training session to introduce law enforcement agencies throughout Utah and surrounding states to the benefits of using MSI’s M-Vac System and Sorenson Forensics’ DNA testing services, which together surpass conventional DNA collection methods.

Continuing to adopt innovative new forensic technology, crime scene investigators at the West Jordan Police Department are now using MSI’s M-Vac System – a wet-vacuum surface sampling device used to acquire DNA samples from immovable surfaces that cannot be transported to a laboratory for processing, and from porous substrates such as clothing, fabrics, cement or rocks – in their investigative efforts. Upon collecting samples with the M-Vac, WJPD crime scene investigators submit the collected material to Sorenson Forensics for DNA evidence processing and analysis. Sorenson Forensics, which receives and analyzes forensic evidence for DNA testing from more than 500 law enforcement agencies in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa, is the only lab in the state of Utah that currently processes evidence collected from the M-Vac.

“The West Jordan Police Department is proactive when it comes to implementing forensic technologies that will help solve crimes more quickly and take criminals off the streets,” said West Jordan Senior Crime Scene Investigator Francine Bardole. “The M-Vac is the third forensics technology we have incorporated in the agency in the past 30 days, and we are thrilled to work with Sorenson Forensics, which is leading the nation in innovative and new forensic DNA testing. Joining forces for the training with these two companies is another step we have taken to build our crime scene unit into one of the most respected forensic units in the state of Utah.”

The M-Vac provides a more reliable way of collecting DNA material in many situations where samples are difficult to retrieve. MSI CEO and President Jared Bradley noted that during the initial validation which was conducted by Sorenson Forensics, the M-Vac collected more DNA than the swabbing method in the majority of scenarios. For example, the M-Vac collected 88 percent more than the swab from a blood stain on a nylon fabric, and 4,000 percent more from a saliva stain on polyester.

“For the West Jordan Police Department to implement the M-Vac and employ our services is evidence of their forward thinking and commitment to the safety of the public,” said Timothy Kupferschmid, executive director of Sorenson Forensics. “We are always developing and delivering on-site laboratory improvement programs that strengthen forensic DNA laboratories worldwide. Our analysis with the M-Vac has found that this technology increases the useable amount of DNA up to 40 to 60 percent, which may increase the likelihood that a tragic cold case will ultimately be solved.”

About West Jordan Police Department

The West Jordan Police Department (www.wjordan.com) provides quality community oriented policing for the fourth-largest city in the state. This full-service department works closely with the city’s 107,000 residents and more than 3,000 businesses to create a safe and secure environment. WJPD is continually on the lookout for new tools, technology and training to better serve the community.

About Microbial-Vac System, Inc.

Microbial-Vac Systems, Inc. is an innovator in surface sampling technology and provides law enforcement the latest in forensic DNA colleciton capabilities. High-profile and unsolved cases, especially those with “touch DNA” situations, are the primary scenarios where the M-Vac System will be utilized. The M-Vac, which is designed for sampling in both the lab and field, is mobile for use at crime scenes on fixed evidence substrates such as walls, floors, furniture, and other immovable fixtures which cannot be transported to a laboratory for processing. The M-Vac is also capable of collecting minute amounts of DNA material from porous substrates such as clothing, or where the target material is spread over a large surface area. The M-Vac uses wet-vacuum principles to release and capture cells. Nuclease- and DNA free buffer is sprayed directly onto a surface, while simultaneously a vacuum is applied around the spray pattern to collect the buffer and suspend particles in a collection bottle. The collected material is then concentrated into a pellet or on a filter and submitted to a DNA laboratory for analysis. The M-Vac System, with its superior DNA sampling, takes forensic DNA collection to the next level.

About Sorenson Forensics

Sorenson Forensics is a leading provider of advanced forensic DNA services and offers industry-best casework assistance to federal, state and local crime laboratories, assists officers of the court in individual criminal cases, and offers comprehensive forensic DNA services to private industry clients. Sorenson Forensics provides services, such as STR and Y-STR analysis; mitochondrial DNA sequencing; comprehensive biology screening; full serology testing, including blood, semen and other body fluid identification; DNA case consultation; expert testimony, validation services and laboratory optimization services. The Sorenson Forensics team consists of individuals internationally recognized for their extensive public and private crime lab experience and for their rigor in the exacting requirements of forensics casework. Sorenson Forensics has established an extraordinary record for helping to crack difficult-to-resolve cases, including previously unsolved “cold cases.”