Police Compiling Massive DNA Database
(IsraelNN.com) Police have begun collecting DNA samples from prison inmates as part of a comprehensive database they have been compiling since February. Police crime scene investigators took cheek swabs from 183 prisoners on Thursday, the first time police have retrieved DNA samples from prisoners and not just recent convicts or suspects.
The database was approved in legislation of 2005 in order to enable crime scene investigators to cross-reference profiles from crime scenes and identify serial offenders more resourcefully. According to the law, the DNA database may only be used in cases involving violent, property, or security crimes, and swabs may be taken from prisoners incarcerated due to relevant crimes.
Over 15,000 convicts are represented in the database, with 130 indictments being filed as a result of the catalog. Data retrieved from a suspect will be erased from the database after seven years if criminal proceedings against him end without a conviction. Each profile will be erased after 20 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment