GREENSBORO, N.C.-- The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is working on using more cost effective ways to solve cases.

• The department is removing a “Rapid DNA Machine” officials purchased in 2016
• They've used the machine in seven criminal cases to identify or rule out a suspect based on DNA evidence; however, authorities say the machine has slowed down the process
• The sheriff’s office plans to now send evidence directly to a private lab

The department is removing a “Rapid DNA Machine” officials purchased in 2016.

They've used the machine in seven criminal cases to identify or rule out a suspect based on DNA evidence; however, authorities say the machine has slowed down the process.

“When you have a violent criminal and you think maybe he’s going to perpetrate again, you want to get him off the streets quickly,” said Captain George Moore, special operations division. “Unfortunately, over the past three years in Guilford county, we haven’t been able to use the machine as much as we would like to.”

The sheriff’s office plans to now send evidence directly to a private lab.

Since 2016 there have been no convictions based on the use of the DNA machine and the department said using the machine has cost taxpayers more than $600,000.