Staff reports

DELPHOS — Parents will now have DNA from their kindergartners at Delphos City and St. John’s elementaries.
Officers from the Delphos Police Department visited St. John’s Thursday and Franklin elementary today to collect DNA swabs that will be placed in a kit and sent home to parents.
Detective Mark Slate said the kits will be helpful should a tragedy occur like a kidnapping and a body is found that needs to be identified.
“The DNA on those swabs keeps for up to 50 years,” Slate explained. “We get the parents’ permission to take the swab and they are sealed and added to a packet that contains information about that child such as a picture, date of birth, dental records, etc. The packets are sent home to parents to keep in case there is a need.”
An information sheet is included to record vital statistics for parents to fill out and dental records can be obtained and added to the kit.
Slate said the department has been doing the DNA swabbing for several years and received a positive response from parents and the schools.