Bensalem Becomes First U.S. Police Department to Deploy Rapid DNA On-Site

In 2017, Bensalem, Pennsylvania, became the first U.S. police department to deploy a RapidHIT ID system, enabling 90-minute DNA profiling on-site. These profiles are not run against CODIS, but instead support local investigative leads through a regional database approach.

A Countywide Rapid DNA Network

Since then, the program has expanded to include training for all 39 municipal police departments in Bucks County to collect samples, contribute to a collective database, and run rapid profiles at participating stations.

Expanding Across the Region

Bucks County’s system is also connected to neighboring Montgomery, Chester, Lancaster, Delaware, and Philadelphia counties, as well as New Castle County, Delaware.

By the Numbers

As of 2024, the Bensalem / Bucks County database includes:

• 65,000 total database profiles
• 11,900 database hits
• 800+ cross-agency hits
• 1,600 cases aided