DNA Crime Lab Called a Qualified Success : Law enforcement: The program so far runs at a loss but also allows the county to save money, prompt guilty pleas, county report says.

Since it began operating in May, the Orange County Sheriff Department’s DNA laboratory has had mixed results in court and lost money, but it nevertheless has proved a worthwhile investment, according to a report by the County Administrative Office.

“Based upon the data from six months of operation, the Orange County DNA lab is a cost-effective means of providing DNA testing for law enforcement,” says the report, which was sent Thursday to the Board of Supervisors. “Although the program is not self-sufficient, outside funding is being pursued.”

Even though the lab runs at a loss, officials said, it saves the county in other areas, and it allows the Sheriff’s Department to eliminate testing fees that would have gone to private DNA labs.

As DNA testing becomes more widely used, county officials said, the lab will save more money by compelling more criminals to plead guilty when faced with DNA evidence against them. That would save court time and allow sheriff’s deputies who would otherwise be tied up testifying to spend more time on patrol.

“We’re very pleased with how it’s gone,” said Frank Fitzpatrick, director of the county lab. “It’s doing just great.”

Many experts believe that DNA testing, although still a novel method of identification, will grow increasingly important in tracking down criminals. The genetic codes in each person’s DNA--deoxyribonucleic acid--is unique, so samples drawn from hair, skin samples, blood or other body fluids can provide a “genetic fingerprint” of an assailant.

The procedure is controversial, however, as some scientists say that DNA prints can stretch and shift, making them difficult to match.

At the county lab, the first few months have produced a record of mixed success in bringing DNA evidence to trial. Since the lab began operating at full steam in May, it has taken eight cases.

According to the report, DNA testing has identified two suspects and cleared three others. The other three tests were rejected because they did not have enough DNA in the sample to provide conclusive evidence.

Fitzpatrick said he hopes that the number of inconclusive cases will shrink over time. The three that were rejected were all old cases, he added, with samples harder to read than fresher ones.

Before building its own DNA lab, the county was sending samples to private labs for hundreds of dollars per sample, costs that have been eliminated since May.

“It’s a more efficient way of doing these tests,” said Steve Franks, an analyst with the County Administrative Office. “And it will get more efficient in the future.”

As DNA cases become more frequent, for instance, expert witnesses will be provided by the county lab, cutting down the expense of paying outsiders to perform that function.

In the meantime, the Sheriff’s Department is considering proposals to charge cities and other government agencies using the service. Agencies outside the county will probably be hit with fees first. Though a price has yet to be determined, sheriff’s officials expect to have a proposal ready for the supervisors to consider early next year.

Bills to county cities that use the DNA lab could follow, but the supervisors--already under fire from cities for a proposed jail booking fee--have not yet indicated that they are willing to begin charging for DNA tests as well.