The use of DNA to solve criminal cases.

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/194197.pdf


I was researching the topic of forensics in biotechnology and the uses of DNA in criminal investigations and I came across this report from the attorney generals office on using DNA to solve cold cases. I must admit that all I knew before this, of how DNA is used in investigations came from TV sitcoms like CSI.

I spent some time going over the article and found it to be most informative. Today DNA is almost a common household acronym but only about 20 years ago was it just starting to get serious attention from the law enforcement community. Today thanks to PCR, we can use DNA that is decades old much like finger prints to track down criminals with the aid of information technology systems such as CODIS.

CODIS or the Combined DNA Index System which is operated by the FBI acts like a library for DNA evidence collected at crime scenes. The great thing about this is that once information is entered, participating states and local authorities can compare their DNA samples to the database and look for matches. This allowed one case in which a man was raping women and burning their houses down to be caught and brought to justice. The man was arrested in another city for firing a gun in public which then required that his DNA be entered into CODIS. This entry set off the alarm that he was involved in more than just a public disturbance.

I believe that this technology will help bring justice to many and that the public will greatly appreciate the ability to remove the doubt of conviction. This system not only has put people behind bars but has freed people from prison as well. There has been some debate though, as with any technology, its only as good as the people who are trained to use it. Contamination of evidence and older samples are often too degraded to use. These problems however are becoming less persistent as the technology gets better.

I think this is a great advance and that it will only get better. I do however hope that this technology wont be used to watch the general populace. I believe that the more technological the justice system becomes that the better off we will be. No more will a confused and scared "eye witness" be able to convince a jury of convicting when good DNA evidence says other words. Technology may be cold but it doesn't make mistakes like people. Lets make this technology more available to law enforcement across the country. Lets integrate biotechnology with the law.