Posted on 05/04/2006 8:44:56 AM PDT by neverdem
A push to require all convicted criminals in New York to submit their DNA to a central database is gaining crucial support in Albany, where officials say it could create the most comprehensive DNA collection system in the nation.
If the proposal becomes law, it would make New York the only state to require collecting DNA from everyone convicted of felonies and misdemeanors, including youthful offenders convicted in criminal court, officials said.
Currently, 43 states require that people convicted of all felonies submit DNA, but none require samples from those convicted of all misdemeanors, and New York has required those convicted only of some felonies and some misdemeanors to do so , officials said.
Gov. George E. Pataki has pushed for an all-crimes DNA database for years and the Republican-led State Senate has approved such a bill, first introduced seven years ago. The legislation, however, has languished in the Democratic-led Assembly. But key lawmakers now say passage of a bill is quite likely if their concerns are addressed about DNA samples held by local crime labs that have been taken from people who have not been convicted.
"I think we're on our way this year to a DNA bill that will be the first in the nation to do all crimes," said Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol, the chairman of the Codes Committee, which has jurisdiction over criminal justice.
The movement in Albany comes as public pressure to expand the state's database is mounting. Yesterday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg gathered the city's five district attorneys outside a forensics lab the city is building on East 26th Street to push for the measure's passage.
"This is by far the most powerful and precise crime-solving tool since the advent of fingerprint identification a century ago," Mr. Bloomberg said. "When it comes to cutting-edge..."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Sounds like a good idea to me. So I'm very surprised that NY is doing it.
I am really surprised New Yorkers are willing to put up with this.
Felonies ok, but misdemeanors, and youth misdemeanors at that? Does that mean the kids who tp'd the city hall in my town would go in the system forever for a dumb, youthful prank?
Too much like Big Brother.
Keep the database for serious crimes only.
A DNA sample is not like a fingerprint. A fingerprint records the shape of your fingerprint. A DNA sample tells anybody who gets their hands on it multitudes about you. And they find new ways to learn new things from DNA everyday. The potential for misuse is enormous.
I think a violent felony conviction strips you of rights that others should retain.
There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws. — Ayn Rand
If they really wanted to get serious about fighting crime, they would require everyone to get RFID bar code implants with a 20 ft transmission radius.
What's next? Creating a new Department of Pre-Crime like in the movie Minority Report?
In New York, are traffic tickets misdemeanors? You get your ticket and DNA swab at one time or in traffic school?
"Sounds like a good idea to me. So I'm very surprised that NY is doing it."
Great! You won't mind if next year they decide to collect the DNA of all licensed drivers? Oh, and you won't mind if they sell that info to the insurance companies? Brilliant!
You can never, ever trust government to be ethical and honest. They are too easily bought by special interests or seduced by power.
"I think this is terrible for a free people. It won't stop with criminals, law-abiding citizens will be next, mark my words."
You must have "something to hide".
"This is just creepy. The politburo peons of government want everyone's personal info—not just criminals'."
We need a compulsory DNA database of every politician, bureaucrat and cop in the country. That would solve a lot of crimes.
LOL!! If only the state knew.....
Anyway, just another sign of big brother.
This is just like taking fingerprints. Are you against that?
The theory here is that the people who commit the more serious crimes are the same people who commit the less serious ones. To a large extent, it's true.
I have to agree with you on TPing City Hall. But as long as we're talking about people who have actually been convicted and are sentenced to time in prison, I'm ok with a DNA database.
This country is almost beyond hope. I'm going to projectile vomit this election season when politicians start paying lip service to freedom, I just know it. They will tell us how important protecting liberty is, and they're going to protect it by arresting us for things that weren't a crime yesterday and by taking our money and property.
As someone posted above, it is much more than a fingerprints. DNA holds your genetic profile, which would belong to the state. If they require it for misdemeanors today, it is not a big steps to require it for traffic violations tomorrow, or all those seeking a driver's license the next day.
You have an awful lot to learn about DNA. (You may also want to do a little research on the unreliability of fingerprints as evidence).
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