I’m Brenda and I’m going to discuss with you guys some of the arguments and benefits of creating a DNA database. It may take a while and there are reasonable concerns associated with such a database, but if properly managed it can have a lot of benefits. These benefits include exonerating the wrongfully convicted, getting bad guys off the streets, and counter terrorism. Lets start by talking about clearing the wrongly convicted. The Innocence Project, a non-profit that focuses on freeing the wrongly convicted, has used collected DNA information to clear 318 people of crimes they did not commit. And in fact, in over half of those cases the people who committed these crimes were identified. False convictions usually occur to due to human error, including mistaken eyewitnesses and errors in forensic evidence. DNA samples greatly reduce this and have taken many innocent people off death row! Apart from the wrongly convicted, DNA helps keep bad guys off the streets. According to the FBI in California alone, 44% of murders go unsolved, and in Washington DC that number increases to 56%. With an extensive database of DNA samples, this could be avoided. DNA can also be used to identify relatives and family members, and has been implemented in the past to interview these people, which has led to convictions and the solving of crimes. In 2009, a man in Maryland was arrested for endangering public safety. When he was arrested his cheek was swabbed to run a DNA test which came up positive. His DNA showed that he was responsible for a number of unsolved rapes that occurred 6 years before – for which he was then convicted. We live in a post 9/11 world and terrorism is a real threat. We’ve all heard something or another about the Patriot Act, and in it there is a section dedicated to collecting DNA samples, BUT WHY? Because in today’s world just about anybody can get anywhere, all it takes is a credit card and a plane ticket. This means potential or known terrorists can come and go pretty easily, and they usually do with false papers. DNA samples, which can be shared with intelligence agencies around the world, could prevent this problem and potentially save a lot of lives. Interestingly, the CIA confirmed that it collected DNA samples of Bin Laden’s family to confirm that he was in his compound before they went in after him. Such a system isn’t too hard to implement. It may take time and cost money but a similar database has been successfully implemented in the UK. They have a database that has samples of roughly 10 percent of their population, opposed to here in the US where we only have samples of half of one percent of our population. The UK database has proven successful and has been used to do everything I’ve already mentioned, and has been incredibly helpful to intelligence agencies around the world. So to quickly review… DNA sampling has a number of benefits, they include: clearing wrongly convicted people, solving crimes and getting bad guys o ...

1. I’m Brenda and I’m going to discuss with you guys some of the
arguments and benefits of creating a DNA database.
It may take a while and there are reasonable concerns associated
with such a database, but if properly managed it can have a lot
of benefits. These benefits include exonerating the wrongfully
convicted, getting bad guys off the streets, and counter
terrorism.
Lets start by talking about clearing the wrongly convicted.
The Innocence Project, a non-profit that focuses on freeing the
wrongly convicted, has used collected DNA information to clear
318 people of crimes they did not commit. And in fact, in over
half of those cases the people who committed these crimes were
identified. False convictions usually occur to due to human
error, including mistaken eyewitnesses and errors in forensic
evidence. DNA samples greatly reduce this and have taken
many innocent people off death row!
Apart from the wrongly convicted, DNA helps keep bad guys
off the streets.
According to the FBI in California alone, 44% of murders go
unsolved, and in Washington DC that number increases to 56%.
With an extensive database of DNA samples, this could be
avoided. DNA can also be used to identify relatives and family
members, and has been implemented in the past to interview
these people, which has led to convictions and the solving of
crimes. In 2009, a man in Maryland was arrested for
endangering public safety. When he was arrested his cheek was
swabbed to run a DNA test which came up positive. His DNA
showed that he was responsible for a number of unsolved rapes
that occurred 6 years before – for which he was then convicted.
We live in a post 9/11 world and terrorism is a real threat.
We’ve all heard something or another about the Patriot Act, and
in it there is a section dedicated to collecting DNA samples,
BUT WHY? Because in today’s world just about anybody can
get anywhere, all it takes is a credit card and a plane ticket.

2. This means potential or known terrorists can come and go pretty
easily, and they usually do with false papers. DNA samples,
which can be shared with intelligence agencies around the
world, could prevent this problem and potentially save a lot of
lives. Interestingly, the CIA confirmed that it collected DNA
samples of Bin Laden’s family to confirm that he was in his
compound before they went in after him.
Such a system isn’t too hard to implement.
It may take time and cost money but a similar database has been
successfully implemented in the UK. They have a database that
has samples of roughly 10 percent of their population, opposed
to here in the US where we only have samples of half of one
percent of our population. The UK database has proven
successful and has been used to do everything I’ve already
mentioned, and has been incredibly helpful to intelligence
agencies around the world.
So to quickly review…
DNA sampling has a number of benefits, they include: clearing
wrongly convicted people, solving crimes and getting bad guys
off the streets, and anti-terrorism. It may be a challenge to get
up and running but as evidenced in the UK, it is possible – AND
ALL IT TAKES IS A Q-TIP IN THE MOUTH. THANK YOU.
http://blogs.lawyers.com/2013/09/mandatory-dna-testing/
http://dnapolicyinitiative.org/resources/dna-databases-and-
human-rights
http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/65420.aspx
http://aclu.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000685
http://www.theweek.co.uk/uk-news/35669/pros-and-cons-
compulsory-dna-database#ixzz3Fz6vxPIf

3. Alasfoor
DNA for Males
Norah Alasfoor
Prof. Mario Lopez
Oct. 17- 2014
DNA from Males
The FBI, CIA and Homeland security are considering getting all
the DNA samples of males above the age of 13 years. They
insist on this because it will make their investigation more
efficient with readily available evidence. The samples are very
helpful especially in rape cases and finding lost people
(Chakraborty & Kidd 1991).Getting samples from all males
however, comes with its disadvantages and I think it’s a bad
idea.
DNA is private and an individual has a right to decide when to
give or not. I think its invasion of the male privacy, trying to
get their DNA samples. Once these DNA samples are given they
are put in a databank. This is like having a part of you taken and
kept by the CIA or FBI where errors in labeling can mistake

4. your identity.(Wallace et al,2014)
DNA samples are not always the solution to cases. If DNA
sample is compared to that of a person who died many years ago
then the results can be faulty. Dead old bones give unclear
information on the DNA especially about the sex (Quincy et al,
2013). It gets worse when innocent people get jailed while they
are innocent. For example what if a DNA sample of a person
who passed by a crime scene matches that of dead person. In
this case the court can be quick to judge this person who in
actual sense is innocent.
The idea of getting DNA samples from males as young as 13
years is not a solution to crime. First these people are too young
to have a part of them stored in a data bank somewhere.
Secondly it is not only the male who commits crime. Females
also commit crimes including rape. Getting only the male
samples means that there is a gender more superior to the other.
In my opinion FBA, CIA, and homeland security should collect
samples of only those individuals accused of crimes and once
they are proven innocent their samples should be discarded.
References
Chakra borty, R., & Kidd, K. K. (1991). The utility of DNA
typing in forensic work. Science, 254(5039), 1735-1739.
Quincey, D., Carle, G., Alunni, V., & Quatrehomme, G. (2013).
Difficulties of sex determination from forensic bone degraded
DNA: A comparison of three methods. Science & Justice, 53(3),
253-260.
Wallace, H. M., Jackson, A. R., Gruber, J., & Thibedeau, A. D.
(2014). Forensic DNA databases–Ethical and legal standards: A
global review. Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 4(3), 57-
63.