This article talks about the new idea to have the DNA profiles of non-convicted suspects to be put into the DNA database called CODIS. Currently CODIS only contains the DNA profiles of only convicted criminals. Many Americans feel that the proposal flies in the face of one of the major values of the United States which is “innocent until proven guilty”. Also, statistics have shown that African Americans are more likely to be arrested than whites. Critics are now beginning to see this new proposal as a genetic collection that resemble the “Jim Crow’s database”.
A DNA profile distills a person’s complex genomic information down to a set of 26 numerical values, each characterizing the length of a certain repeated sequence of “junk” DNA that differs from person to person. This creates a DNA fingerprint for identification.
There are many good and bad aspects to including the DNA profiles of non-convicted suspects to the database. On the positive side, having more profiles in the database will make it much easier for police to find a positive identification of a suspect and link him or her to a crime. Also, with more profiles there will be less of a chance for the wrong people to be convicted of a crime. Also, many feel that having their profile in the database but not being convicted will put their DNA information out for people to see, but since the profile uses the 26 numerical values they are biologically meaningless and only poses identification purposes. Once the profiles are taken the DNA is destroyed so that only the profile on the database is left. The database may also begin to use a technique called a familial search. This exploits the fact the close relatives share substantial fractions of the DNA. The problem with this method is that it is not very exact and sometimes results in a match with people that are not related.
Some of the negatives to this database are mainly that it is genetic profiling. With more profiles of African Americans being on in the database than whites it may be seen as an act as racism. Some ideas to stop this are to have everyone provide a DNA sample and have a DNA profile in the database. With this there will never be any false identification or false convictions since all people DNA will be on file. These DNA samples can be taken when a person is born. Once this biological sample is obtained, its use must be limited to generating a DNA profile only, and afterward the sample must be destroyed and the access to the database must remain limited to law enforcement officers investigating serious crimes.
If the privacy of people remains secure than there is no excuse to use the science that we posses to successfully fight against crime with great accuracy and success. But all must play their part in this fight.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/15/opinion/15seringhaus.html
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