Posted on 01/06/2009 4:13:16 AM PST by Abathar
Street Officers Swab Every Gun For Evidence
INDIANAPOLIS -- A new program that collects DNA evidence from firearms is already on its way to putting more criminals behind bars, police said.
The Marion County Crime Lab has several gun cases investigated under the new DNA pilot program heading to court right now, Indianapolis police spokesman Lt. Jeffrey Duhamell told 6News' Jack Rinehart.
The program, which just entered its fifth month, makes Indianapolis the only place in the country where street officers routinely collect DNA evidence from firearms, linking the guns to the suspects 80 percent of the time.
"It's better than what we expected," said crime lab Director Mike Medler. "The program, to this point, has been very positive. There've been a lot of positive effects in the field, for the investigators and the officers, as well as some of the results we've seen."
Officers make at least three attempts to recover genetic evidence from every firearm.
Investigators said it gives them an edge when questioning suspects.
"We've had cases where the suspect says, 'OK, you got me, it was my gun,' which, in a confession, goes a long way," said Capitan Craig Converse.
While officials said they don't believe the new testing will stop criminals from carrying weapons, they said it will make for more serious charges and longer prison terms when they are convicted.
(Excerpt) Read more at theindychannel.com ...
A smart criminal can use this to their advantage too. A clean gun, gloves and a DNA source applied to the grips will give his lawyer a lot to work with when it comes to reasonable doubt.
Wear gloves when you do the shooting, hand the gun to a couple of buddies to look at, you’re off scot free. I heard a while ago that rapists in England were starting to use condoms to prevent the collection of DNA evidence (yes, I know rape kits comb the victim’s pubic hair for the rapist’s pubic hair - which could easily be stopped with five minutes and a razor). It’s just something I heard that sounded plausible.
While officials said they don’t believe the new testing will stop criminals from carrying weapons, they said it will make for more serious charges and longer prison terms when they are convicted
First part of the Officers statement is COMMON SENSE. Since over 2000 existing gun laws DO NOT stop CRIMINALS from using weapons, it would seem unlikely any additional efforts will.
The second part of the Officers comment is NONSENSE. The Courts and the Legal System routinely look to insure that criminals are convicted of the lesser opffense that they can be (insures a higher conviction rate for DA’s and Judges routinely give out the least time sentence that they are able to under the law. With many States today looking to release convictes NOT finished with the sentence from jail for lack of space and funding, it seems unlikely that we will see longer sentences anytime soon.
Indianapolis can use all the help they can get to catch criminals. There are murders and shootings going on daily. And it is usually from the likely suspects.
I know, I moved down here from Detroit. The news each night is starting to sound like what I was use to.
I suppose it has to be better than Detroit.
Yes, but the video could be interchanged with the Detroit broadcast and you wouldn’t know the difference, just not as many each night.
A friends car was stolen around eagle creek area. Police stopped it with 4 YETES in it. Gun under the front seat stolen stereo equipment in it. NO CHARGES files. IPD investigator told my friend "they are only yutes".
Until they build another larger jail and start a serious crack down and clean up the crooked IPD nothing is going to stop the Obamaites.
If they were smart, they wouldn’t be criminals.
You would be surprised, some are very smart but just lazy.
Perhaps I should have used the word cunning and not smart, some of them know how to work the system better than a lawyer does.
I’ve only been down here since 02 and I think Ballard is doing a better job as Mayor than Peterson.
I was thinking of that program “The First 48”. Idiots maiming and killing one another over a few dollars or some petty slight. Then they can barely grasp that they just tossed away their life. And left the wreckage of other’s lives in their wake. Stupid.
OK, as badly as I hate to do so, I’ll ask ... What’s a YETE?
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