Police starting to collect DNA upon arrest

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A new state law on DNA collection has taken effect starting Wednesday.

Local police will now collect DNA samples from people arrested from felony arrests and all people convicted of crimes, both misdemeanors and felonies, according to a news release. Law enforcement will take the samples during booking, swabbing the inside of a cheek four to five times with two sterile cotton swabs. The agency won’t process the samples until a judge finds probable cause that a crime was committed.

According to the Attorney General’s office, the new law will expedite the identification of violent criminals before they commit additional violent crimes, allow for definitive identification of those arrested and deter those who have provided a sample from committing crimes.

Wisconsin is the 28th state to adopt legislation that requires collecting DNA at arrest. The new law is expected to add about 68,000 new samples in the first year, 25 ,000 from felony arrests and convictions and 43,000 adult misdemeanor convictions, according to the news release.

Tests are now occurring on the technology that will rely on DNA, during booking procedures, to automatically identify people who have been arrested, according to the release.

Before the new law, Wisconsin only had required convicted felons and sex offenders to provide DNA. The state collects about 12,000 DNA samples from convicted felons each year.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.