Life for forensic scientists has just gotten exponentially better in Hudson County.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office has officially opened a brand new DNA Laboratory at its Meadowview Campus in Secaucus. The state-of-the-art facility allows a team of forensic scientists to conduct DNA testing in-house, which will significantly expedite the results of pertinent investigative and evidentiary material.
Seeing a need to create a more streamlined forensic testing process, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office says it initiated the process of building its own DNA lab in 2019. The facility is equipped to forensically examine evidence collected in major cases – including sexual assaults, homicides, non-fatal shootings and aggravated assaults – and will serve as the primary DNA lab for all law enforcement agencies in Hudson County.
The lab is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board and operates in compliance with state and federal regulations.
Previously, evidence requiring DNA testing was submitted to state-operated labs. The overwhelming need for this level of testing often delayed results by several months. The Hudson County DNA Laboratory has a targeted turnaround time not to exceed 14 business days.
“When the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office relocated its investigative staff from Duncan Avenue in Jersey City to the Meadowview Campus in Secaucus, our office made it a priority to explore new opportunities that would allow us to better serve the residents of Hudson County,”Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. “DNA is one of the strongest pieces of investigatory evidence and having the ability to process material in-house will help expedite our jobs in law enforcement and identify or exonerate suspects of crime. This laboratory is a tremendous accomplishment and will become a proven asset to our entire community.”
Hudson County is one of only two prosecutor’s office in New Jersey to have a DNA lab, second to Union County. Both the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police, which previously provided DNA testing services for Hudson County law enforcement, played an instrumental role in providing strategic guidance to the HCPO during the construction process.
The lab operates independently from the investigative and legal staff of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. The facility is overseen by director Jonathan Kui and staffed with two senior DNA analysts, Kaylee Klose and Meredith Napor. The lab anticipates analyzing approximately 500 cases a year.
“The Hudson County DNA Laboratory is comprised of professionals committed to providing precise and timely results,” Kui said. “Our team has a track record of working seamlessly together to accomplish these goals. We are excited to be part of this important milestone and eager to serve the residents of Hudson County.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.