Can a DNA cheek swab prevent crime?

The use of DNA evidence has revolutionized crime investigations over the past 30 years, helping to catch criminals and keep us all safer. But are we fully using DNA’s potential to catch criminals? In this episode, a victim of sexual assault tells their powerful story of how DNA analysis led to justice, and how exactly DNA can be used to prevent crimes before they even happen. Guests: Ashley Spence, Survivor, and Founder, DNA Justice Project Tiffany Roy, Professor of Forensic DNA Analysis David Rausch, Director, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Max Isaacs, Director of Technology Law & Policy, The Policing Project Jennifer Doleac, Economist Sources: Jennifer Doleac, Anne Sofie Anker and Rasmus Landersø, The Effects of DNA Databases on the Deterrence and Detection of Offenders; American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Vol. 13, No. 4, October 2021 Fighting Crime is an Indio Media Production for Arnold Ventures © 2026 Arnold Ventures. All rights reserved.