DNA database: crime fighting wheapon or threat to privacy?

2009-05-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

Q.1 What are the benefits of DNA database?
A.1 By using DNA database, we can identify the criminal by observing his/her genes. By using advanced technology, we can discover the identity of criminal by matching DNA from blood,hair,salvia or other bodily fluid which we got from the crime scene.
Q.2 What problems do DNA database pose?
A.2 sometimes DNA database poses mistakes & it might be affect innocent person. There may be reason to found innocent person's DNA at a crime scene. But with the diregarded by police that person might be caught up for criminal investigation.
Q.3 Who should be included in the national DNA database? Should it be limited to convicted felons? Explain it.
A.3 people who are guilty or cleared of a crime and also who has not commited any crime that all are included in DNA database. Yes, it should be limited to convicted felons because only they are included in the criminal activity.DNA samples taken when people are arrested must be destroyed if the individual is not charged or convicted.
Q.4 Who should be able to use DNA database?
A.4 DNA database can be used by all 50 states, the FBI and the US army who are connected with this system.
Q.5 How does CODIS work? How is it designed?
A.5 CODIS generates investigative leads in cases where biological evidence is recovered from the crime scene. Matches made among profiles in the Forensic Index can link crime scenes together; possibly identifying serial offenders. Based upon a match, police from multiple jurisdictions can coordinate their respective investigations and share the leads they developed independently. Matches made between the Forensic and Offender Indexes provide investigators with the identity of a suspect perpetrator(s). Since names and other personally identifiable information are not stored at NDIS, qualified DNA analysts in the laboratories sharing matching profiles contact each other to confirm the candidate match.NDIS is the highest level in CODIS hierarchy, and enables the laborateries participating in the program to exchange and compare DNA profiles on the national level.
Q.6 What information does CODIS maintain?
A.6 CODIS contains the profiles of convicted offender, contains arrestees persons profile, DNA profiles collected from crime scenes, missing persons profile, contains DNA profiles developed from unidentified human remains, contains DNA profiles voluntarily contributed from relatives of missing person.
Q.7 Who is allowed to use CODIS?
A.7 A total of 175 crime labs in all 50 states and Puerto Rico ... as well as the FBI Lab and the U.S. Army Crime Lab. And, in a sign of how effective the system is, 31 labs in 18 nations worldwide also use CODIS, but they are not connected to any DNA databases here in the U.S. They simply borrow the FBI's technology to help investigations in their own countries, much as we do here.
Q.8 How does CODIS aid criminal investigation?
A.8 CODIS generates investigative leads in cases where biological evidence is recovered from the crime scene. Matches made among profiles in the Forensic Index can link crime scenes together, possibly identifying serial offenders. Based upon a match, police from multiple jurisdictions can coordinate their respective investigations and share the leads they developed independently. Matches made between the Forensic and Offender Indexes provide investigators with the identity of a suspected perpetrator(s). Since names and other personally identifiable information are not stored at NDIS, qualified DNA analysts in the laboratories sharing matching profiles contact each other to confirm the candidate match.

be genuine

DNA database: crime fighting wheapon or threat to privacy?