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ALBANY---New York State has dedicated $1 million to support the collection and processing of DNA samples from property crime scenes in 11 IMPACT counties.
In addition, officials from the Division of Criminal Justice Services and New York State Police will offer training sessions in Albany, Poughkeepsie and Syracuse, beginning in January 2006, for prosecutors and investigators. The training will focus on the recognition of potential sources of DNA evidence at burglary scenes, collection and preservation techniques and the legal issues associated with using DNA as evidence in court.
"DNA is a proven, powerful crime-fighting tool that has helped convict the guilty, exonerate the innocent, and bring justice to victims," Gov. George Pataki said. "Expanding the collection methods in many of our IMPACT counties will enable our law enforcement professionals to solve more tough cases and catch criminals before they break the law again."
"I also want to again urge the Assembly Majority to pass my legislation, which would require all convicted criminals in New York State to give a DNA sample to the New York State DNA Databank. Every time New York's Databank is expanded, more heinous crimes are solved, and future crimes are prevented," the Governor added.
Since Pataki first proposed expanding the New York State DNA Databank to include all felonies and misdemeanors, the federal government and 43 other states across the country have proposed and passed laws that require all felony offenders to be included in their states DNA Databanks. Although the Governor's proposal has passed overwhelmingly in the Senate, the New York State Assembly Majority has refused to bring this important legislation to the floor for a vote.
Two recent studies by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services show that, on average, offenders linked to crimes using the DNA Databank had approximately 12 prior convictions. In addition, these studies and a review of the "hits" from the DNA Databank show most criminals do not specialize in their offending patterns. For example, of the more than 1,100 offenders linked to sexual assault cases through a DNA Databank "hit," over 80% were in the Databank based on a prior conviction for an offense other than a sex related offense, such as larceny, burglary or drug violation.
Everyday DNA technology is helping law enforcement officials in New York State identify the perpetrators of serious crimes, and assure justice in our courts. Since April of 2000, there have been more than 2,179 hits, linking offenders to particular crimes, in the state DNA databank. It is unlikely that many of these crimes would have been solved without the use of forensic DNA technology and the New York State DNA Databank.
This enhanced DNA initiative is designed to offer certain IMPACT jurisdictions training in the collection of DNA evidence from burglaries, and will pay for the analysis of those items. This will greatly enhance the ability of police to resolve burglaries in a timely manner.
The New York State DNA Databank was established in 1996 and individuals convicted of homicide and certain sex-related crimes were required to submit a DNA sample. In 1999, the law was expanded to require a DNA specimen from persons convicted of any violent felony offense (as defined in the law). The effect of the 1999 amendment was dramatic --of the first 1,000 hits in the database linking crime scene evidence to offenders, 802 or 80% were a result of the 1999 expansion. In July 2004, the Databank was expanded to include all crimes under the Sex Offender Registry Act, crimes of terrorism, felony hate crimes, as well as other offenses where there was a high likelihood of a DNA sample being left as evidence. Since the expansion in 2004, the DNA Databank has had 683 hits, 106 of which are a result of the new DNA qualifying offenses added in the July legislation.
More than half of the individuals who are convicted of felony offenses in New York State are not required under current law to provide a DNA sample for the State DNA Databank. Expanding the list of offenses that require a submission of a DNA sample to all crimes assures that criminals' DNA profiles are in the database at the outset of their criminal careers, so that those who choose to re-offend will be identified more readily and with greater certainty - often limiting future criminal activity.
Currently, the New York State DNA databank holds more than 153,000 offender DNA profiles and 15,822 forensic evidence profiles. In human terms, that means that there are nearly 16,000 unsolved cases for which DNA evidence has been recovered that could lead to the identification of the perpetrator if his/her DNA sample is ever added to the system. 11-14-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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