Fbi’s Dna Database Has Helped Id Thousands Of Suspects
The FBI’s Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) holds DNA samples from more than 1.6 million incarcerated individuals across the country. The database has assisted local law enforcement agencies track down suspects in more than 11,000 cases ranging from murders to sexual offenses.
The tool has also helped clear many innocent people accused of crimes they did not commit, and also cuts down the number of misleading clues.
Joseph M. Polisar, chief of police in Garden Grove, Calif., notes that sharing genetic information has helped the FBI enhance interaction between the agency and local police forces, which has often been problematic.
Current director of the FBI Laboratory Dwight Adams, a DNA specialist, has worked to develop an advanced identification system that ensures privacy of the DNA samples and makes sure matches are rechecked before arrests are made; Adams has also worked hard to deflect any legal or clinical threats to the lab.
Each month, up to 40,000 new DNA samples are added to CODIS by local agencies, and the database also has more than 80,000 samples from sites of unsolved crimes.
At least 170 area crime labs scattered throughout the 50 states currently use CODIS to find DNA matches.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Associated Press (03/08/04) .