Topic: Government
Police Collecting DNA To track down a serial killer, police in Daytona Beach are collecting DNA samples from suspects by swabbing the inside of an individual's mouth. by Adam Rink
(Libertarian)
Monday, February 18, 2008
To track down a serial killer, police in Daytona Beach are collecting DNA samples from suspects by swabbing the inside of an individual’s mouth. The police have the killer’s DNA that was left at the crime scene. Anyone arrested in Daytona Beach must already surrender a DNA sample, but as the Orlando Sentinel reports, Chitwood (Chief of Police of Dayton Beach) stated the police will also request a DNA sample from anyone who is a person of interest. For suspects that are not under arrest, this would be a voluntary process for the law does not declare that they must give a sample. Some individuals believe giving a DNA sample violates the 5th Amendment, as a person could be providing incriminating evidence against themselves. However, courts have struck down that providing a DNA sample violates the 5th amendment.
DNA samples are not unique to only the Daytona Beach police department. Many police departments across the country have been collecting samples for the last 20 years. DNA samples are being used to replace fingerprints because a DNA fingerprint provides a better signature for a person. DNA is almost always left at a crime scene, in the form of hair, skin cells, semen, etc... . DNA fingerprinting is not like sequencing the full DNA strand. DNA sequencing is a biochemical process used to determine the genetic code for a person. DNA fingerprinting looks at only 13 short segments of the DNA. Each segment has a set of bases (A, G, C, and T) that repeat. The number of times these set of bases repeat in each segment will uniquely identify a person.
The US stores DNA fingerprinting information in the world’s largest DNA database (CODIS), which contains 4.5 million records. Currently these records are linked to crimes and convicted offenders. According to the FBI, there is no personal information, including name, social security number, or address, stored with the records. In the last few years the database has increased to include arrestee and missing person information.
DNA fingerprinting can be compromised because it is a sensitive process. Only a little bit of DNA is needed to identify a person. Therefore, someone could get a hold of a blood, skin, or hair sample and plant them on a crime scene. Another is a public place like an office where everybody leaves their DNA. Then there are data entry errors, where the DNA fingerprint is incorrectly tied to the wrong person or case. Let’s hope a new DNA sample is taken to verify the database sample before trial.
Today, sequencing the human genome is a long, expensive and complex process. The fear is that when technology comes along to sequence this DNA quickly, the full DNA sequence will be determined and stored. These samples could be stolen or used for purposes other than identification. Imagine if insurance companies knew what defects where in a person’s genes. They would raise rates or deny coverage based on DNA. Other companies might clone cells or organs of a person. This would be great if a person needed a heart transplant but a moral issue if someone clones that body part for another person. Worse yet would be someone cloning people based on a database of DNA. Talk about creating the master race.
While DNA is a very useful tool for law enforcement and may prevent criminals from committing multiple offenses, one should wonder what the future holds. What rights do police have to collect DNA in the future? Will they swab a person when stopping them for a common traffic violation? Will our DNA be taken at birth in the hospital? As technology improves, one would hope there are constraints on the system preventing the government from storing such information on its citizens.
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2008 Adam Rink, all rights reserved.
Published: Monday, February 18, 2008
Last modified: Monday, February 18, 2008
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2008 Adam Rink, all rights reserved.