PHOENIX (AZFamily) — DNA technology is giving law enforcement the upper hand in tracking down violent offenders and getting them off the streets, with back-to-back cold cases from across The Valley recently solved.

While some cold cases are heating up, other investigations can take longer than others to close. It’s not so much a matter of “backlogs” — there are a lot of hurdles when it comes to linking evidence to a suspect.

One big obstacle is how a suspect gets into the system. Police are on the streets every day, making arrests and collecting evidence, but not every arrest and not all evidence leads to the DNA lab.

Arizona law states a suspect can be swabbed for DNA only if they’ve been arrested for serious and violent felony offenses, like sexual assaults.

“If you haven’t committe

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