02-01-2011, 09:23 AM
this was touched upon in another thread, what is your opinion on DNA databases?
i do not see it as a police state/big brother move. i see it as a crime-fighting tool, and an accurate one. no more invasive than fingerprints.
North Carolina is going to the next step today, DNA samples from certain arrested individuals, prior to conviction.
RALEIGH NC— Tuesday marks the first day of a new law that allows law enforcement to take DNA from arrestees, not just those convicted of a crime.
The new state law begins February 1 and requires officers to take DNA samples from anyone charged with assault on handicapped persons, stalking, or any felony.
Previously, samples were only obtained from convicted felons with blood. Now officers can swab the inside of someone's cheek to obtain DNA.
The samples will be sent to Raleigh for analysis and storage. They will be run against DNA taken from unsolved crimes to look for matches and stored to compare against evidence collected from crime scenes.
Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes previously said the extra effort will help solve a lot of cases.
The law requires a person's sample be automatically removed from the state's DNA database when the suspect is acquitted or charges are dismissed.
North Carolina's DNA database, which is maintained by the State Bureau of Investigation, currently contains more than 200,000 profiles and has helped solve more than 1,900 cases since its inception.
i do not see it as a police state/big brother move. i see it as a crime-fighting tool, and an accurate one. no more invasive than fingerprints.
North Carolina is going to the next step today, DNA samples from certain arrested individuals, prior to conviction.
RALEIGH NC— Tuesday marks the first day of a new law that allows law enforcement to take DNA from arrestees, not just those convicted of a crime.
The new state law begins February 1 and requires officers to take DNA samples from anyone charged with assault on handicapped persons, stalking, or any felony.
Previously, samples were only obtained from convicted felons with blood. Now officers can swab the inside of someone's cheek to obtain DNA.
The samples will be sent to Raleigh for analysis and storage. They will be run against DNA taken from unsolved crimes to look for matches and stored to compare against evidence collected from crime scenes.
Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes previously said the extra effort will help solve a lot of cases.
The law requires a person's sample be automatically removed from the state's DNA database when the suspect is acquitted or charges are dismissed.
North Carolina's DNA database, which is maintained by the State Bureau of Investigation, currently contains more than 200,000 profiles and has helped solve more than 1,900 cases since its inception.