Captain Chip Harding has been with the Charlottesville Police Department since 1978. He talks with Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now about Virginia’s DNA Data Bank for suspected and convicted felons. Virginia is the national leader in DNA-based law enforcement, with extensive records helping match unsolved cases with previous offenders. Yet Virginia and other states alike have many felons whose DNA samples were never collected – leaving many cases unsolved.
Harding discusses how DNA can lead not only to convictions, but also to the release of innocent citizens. Organizations such as the Innocence Project have exonerated almost 200 convicted felons since DNA evidence was made available.