In December 2006, the Palm Bay, Florida, Police Department (PBPD) and DNA Security, Inc. (DNA:SI LABS), collaborated to develop a local agency databank of forensic DNA evidence for use on most crimes. The project was established to determine if mass collection of DNA from common crimes and subject reference samples, placed into a database, could be developed into an effective investigative evidence tool, identifying criminals and connecting seemingly unrelated crime scenes. The process had to be cost-effective, and the results from the laboratory had to be expedient. The results would also have to be accessible by the average road officer or detective in an easily understood format.

Although there have been several DNA projects and programs aimed at the local or regional agency level, these projects have been undertaken at large metropolitan agencies or regions with unique resources and atypical demographics.¹ Most projects have focused on specific crimes, such as burglaries or violent crimes. Considering real-world conditions, where more than 80 percent of law enforcement agencies cover jurisdictions having populations of less than 250,000, these projects are not representative of the average police jurisdiction. Moreover, the bulk of crime that affects most communities is property related. It is common knowledge and an accepted criminology statistic that a small number of criminals commit more than 80 percent of crimes. Many of the offenders who commit violent crimes today have a history of petty crimes. The general premise of a localized forensic DNA database is predicated on these facts. In Palm Bay, juveniles commit more than 75 percent of the crime activity. The purpose of the Local DNA Index System (LODIS) is to bring forensic DNA technology down to the average city or county level.

The city of Palm Bay is approximately 100 square miles of suburban community consisting mostly of residential neighborhoods; about half are residential single-family neighborhoods, and the rest can be defined as rural residential and sparsely populated wooded areas. The PBPD has 166 sworn officers and 4 civilian crime scene investigation specialists. Recently, the city has experienced rapid growth, and with a population exceeding 107,000, police staffing has been a challenge. Despite the growing trend of violent crime in the Orlando region and across the United States, Palm Bay has thus far experienced few violent crimes. The bulk of the criminal activity there consists of burglary and theft cases, mostly committed by local offenders and tied to drug activity or juvenile delinquency.