Columbus police to review 3,000 DNA test results

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Columbus police chief says the agency is reviewing around 3,000 DNA test results, saying updated reporting procedures weren’t always followed.

Chief Kim Jacobs says some reports given to investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys and courts lacked a statistical weighting system in the report’s analysis.

Jacobs said today she learned of the situation last week involving DNA test results from mid-2009 through last September.

At issue are best-practice standards for dealing with DNA evidence. Those standards were introduced in 2009. Jacobs says they were not always followed.

Jacobs says she can’t rule out that closed criminal cases could be affected.

Jacobs says an internal review and external audit uncovered the problem. She says the city is hiring an independent DNA expert to audit the crime lab’s DNA procedures.