DNA testing that for years helped solve violent crimes is getting another use in a wheels on the ground program in Dallas.
Police, prosecutors and the crime lab will use a $500,000 federal grant to apply DNA testing to vehicle thefts.
Dallas officers will swab areas possibly touched by thieves or items left behind in an effort to secure genetic material. Police could begin taking DNA from stolen cars and trucks as early as March.
Results will be compared with a law enforcement database.
The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that a task force called Forensic Evidence Auto Recovery, or FEAR, will target theft rings that salvage vehicles for parts.
Police Sgt. David Landry says tying suspects to multiple cases can lead to convictions and longer sentences.
