A Chicago study in 2005 found that 53 murders and rapes could have been prevented if a DNA sample had been collected upon arrest. However, the new regulation would mean that the federal government could store DNA samples of people who are not guilty of any crime, said Jesselyn McCurdy, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.
WASHINGTON. The government plans to begin collecting DNA samples from anyone arrested by a federal law enforcement agency — a move intended to prevent violent crime but also raises concerns about the privacy of innocent people.
Using authority granted by Congress, the government also plans to collect DNA samples from foreigners who are detained, whether they have been charged or not. The DNA would be collected through a cheek swab, Justice Department spokesman Erik Ablin said yesterday.
Expanding the DNA database, known as CODIS, raises civil liberties questions about the potential for misuse of such personal information, such as family ties and genetic conditions. The move would be a departure from the current practice, which limits DNA collection to convicted felons.
Ablin said the DNA collection would be subject to the same privacy laws applied to current DNA sampling. None of it would be used for identifying genetic traits, diseases or disorders.
Congress gave the Justice Department the authority to expand DNA collection in two different laws passed in 2005 and 2006.
Justice officials estimate the new collecting requirements would add DNA from an additional 1.2 million people to the database each year.
