New Rule Allows Use of Partial DNA Matches
New York has become the latest of a handful of jurisdictions to permit a controversial use of DNA evidence that gives law enforcement authorities a sophisticated means to track down criminals. Under a state rule approved in December, DNA found at a crime scene that does not exactly match that of someone in the state’s DNA database can still be used to pursue suspects if the DNA closely resembles that of someone on file. Since family members share genetic traits, a partial DNA match allows investigators to narrow searches to relatives of people whose DNA is already in the state database, forensic experts say.
But advocates for protecting the public’s privacy warned that the practice could be abused and effectively promoted a guilt-by-association approach to criminal justice that could result in the investigation of many innocent people. New York’s DNA database contains more than 343,000 genetic profiles of people convicted of serious crimes. New York’s rule, which was approved by the state’s Commission on Forensic Science and is expected to take effect in the spring, will allow forensic investigators working for the State Police to share information about partial matches with local law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement officials say the policy frees forensic scientists from sitting on potentially valuable evidence that they had not been able to turn over to local police departments.
The commission’s approval came despite arguments from the New York Civil Liberties Union that the rule should have been put before the State Legislature. Civil libertarians also worry that the state’s new guidelines are feeding a much more expansive use of criminal databases across the country.
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Categories: Forensics
Tags: DNA, DNA Database, Evidence, Forensics, New York, Victim, Witnesses