DENVER -- Denver police are now using DNA to help solve burglaries.

DNA is routinely used in murder and sex assault cases, but a new grant is paying for equipment and a specialist who will focus on 500 burglary cases. Police say it could have a big impact on the number of career criminals targeting Denver residents.

"We'll be able to incarcerate them, take them off the street and reduce the burglary rate significantly. That's why we're so excited about this grant," said Denver district attorney Mitch Morrissey.

With DNA, the district attorney can avoid the statute of limitations by filing charges against a John Doe. Once crime fighters match the DNA, prosecutors can then amend the case file to list the suspect's real name.

Denver is one of five cities picked to test the program by the U.S. Justice Department. Its $418,000 grant will pay for a full-time DNA analyst, a prosecutor to focus on burglaries and thefts, and a researcher to track the program's effectiveness.

In burglaries, the assailant leaves some kind of DNA evidence in about 8 percent of break-ins.