The Use of Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Crime Investigations - Term Paper Example

The use of DNA in Crime Investigations number The use of DNA in Crime Investigations Increasein the use of science for the solution of problems that are faced by people in their daily lives has been witnessed in the past two centuries. If one looks at how the preceding generations lived their lives, one will be amazed to see the differences that modern science and technology have brought to our lives. The significance of this lies in the fact that one’s openness to the new ideas that are introduced even today depends on the mindset that one adopts. It also depends to a great extent on the far-sightedness of a person in looking at the long-term effects of the changes incorporated into the lives of people due to technological changes. There may be many negatives that can be found in the introduction of these changes. However, that does not justify a rejection of those changes without an analysis of the positive effects that they may have. The use of DNA in the analysis of crime and the investigations of this issue is one such area. In the United States of America, only twenty five states follow a system whereby the use of DNA is done in an efficient manner. This involves the collection of DNA samples right at the time of the arrest of a criminal. In the other states, collection of these samples is conducted following the conviction of a criminal, and this causes a lot of delay. These delays may result in a change in the very outcome of the cases where the said changes are made. This paper will discuss these delays and the changes that can be made in the legislative structures that govern crime investigation in the United States of America. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) has the makeup of a person encoded within it. It is a unique code that helps identify a person. It can be used to distinguish between persons. Samples of DNA can be collected from a person’s saliva, hair and other parts of that person’s body. Such information can be later used to verify the identity of the criminal and can be used for matching with the samples that are collected from him or her (“Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations”, n.d.). While these can be collected from the suspects later on during the time of the conviction, the samples that are to be collected from the crime scene need to be collected at the time of the arrest itself. If this is not done, there may be difficulties in locating the position of the body fluids in question and it may also be difficult to isolate them so that the matching of the DNA may be conducted. In the context of the legislations that currently exist, stress is laid on the use of DNA samples for the solving of crimes; however, as mentioned earlier in this paper, only twenty five states in America have a provision for the collection of DNA samples at the time of the arrest of a suspect. Various arguments have been advanced in favour of collecting the DNA samples at the time of the arrest. One of these is the quick analysis possible as a result of the quick collection of the data. This prevents many problems that would otherwise be present in the process of the investigation of the crime. To understand this fully, one needs to also understand the benefits of DNA analysis in the process. This would help one locate the areas where the problems are present. One of the major advantages of the use of DNA samples in crime investigations is the creation of databases that can be then used to track the activities of people who are known to be offenders. While allowing every person who has committed an offence a chance to improve their own characters and lots in life, this system ensures the safety of the society where such convicts are present. Having such a database would mean that people who have committed an offence may be caught in an easier fashion. This would also mean that people who are innocent may have a better chance to stay free and engage in activities that are useful for the society in which they live and are a part of. Statistics have shown that most of the crimes that are committed in America are due to the activities of repeat offenders. This is an alarming statistics, and the situation needs to be rectified so that people who commit offences may not think that it would be possible for them to get away with the crimes that they commit (“Why Pass This Law?”, n.d.). Apart from this, there is also the aspect of cost that comes into the picture. The cost of investigations that are conducted without the aid of the most modern facilities that would need to employ DNA samples would lead to unnecessary expenditure in the areas of crime investigation. If a clear answer is provided to the people who are investigating a particular case right at the beginning of the investigation, they would be able to not use up the resources of the state in a manner that is wasteful and harmful to the general public of the United States of America. Creating regular databases that are matched with samples that are retrieved at the time of the arrest of a suspect would lead to the prevention of unnecessary expenses and time. A large amount of money spent in this way can be saved and put into use for the recovery of the economy and the boosting of the other enterprises that the government of America has to look into. The saving of this money would mean that several avenues can be opened for the creation of jobs that would lead to a further strengthening of the American economy (Ritter, 2010). The speedy distribution of justice is another advantage that can be gained from this entire process. Collecting DNA samples at the time of the arrest has led to quicker dispensation of justice to victims for a long time now. Quickening the process at every step is required for the creation of a network that would lead to even speedier methods of solving crime. A nationwide network of the samples that are collected from the people who are accused right at the time of their arrest could lead to a situation where they are, or are not, identified as the perpetrators of a certain crime in a quicker way (“Using DNA to Solve Crimes”, n.d.). The collection of DNA samples right at the time of the arrest would help people who are involved only in the process of creating databases to speed up their work. In the existing scenario, there are problems as far as this is concerned. The most important of these problems is the inability to create databases quickly. With the passing of legislation in this regard, the processes would speed up as there would be more budgetary allocations for them. The backlogs that have been formed in the creation of databases often become roadblocks in the process of crime investigation. This should not be the case as it would result in many delays in the process of dispensing justice to the people who have been at the receiving end of justice. By the time justice is served, it may be too late in some cases. People may have left the country in surreptitious ways, which would not have been allowed if their level of involvement in the case had been judged in a more efficient manner. The absence of a criminal is thus something that may result from delaying the process of collecting DNA samples from the person who has been a part of the crime scene or associated with it in any other way (“Using DNA to Solve Crimes”, n.d.). The fact that most of the crimes in the United States of America are committed by repeat offenders points to the fact that there are many outfits within the country that engage in organized crime. They often act in collusion with other groups and, therefore, establish powerful organizations. Gov. Scott Walker talks about the legislation regarding the increased use of DNA samples, including the collection of the samples at the time of the arrest of the suspect. He feels that due to this the families of the victims of organized crimes would see justice done sooner than they usually do in the present system (Srubas, 2012). These measures point to an urgency within the legislative and executive wings of the nation to increase the use of DNA samples when it comes to the investigation of crimes. This also points to the mood of the people who feel that modern technology is to be made use of in a field as important and sensitive as the solving of crimes and the ensuring of the safety of people. The aspect of law and order that this is a part of is very important to voters, and this is something that politicians are aware of. The importance of this measure can be ascertained by the fact that the governor of a state has considered it up as a major issue. With the increase in the rate of organized crime in the nation, the safety of the people is affected considerably. The use of DNA samples taken right at the time of the arrest can also enable the preparation of a shortlist of suspects, which can then be used for arriving at the solution of the crime. This can be of immense help to the detectives who are involved in the investigation of the crime. Matching such samples with those that are available in the databases of the police would lead to a much more efficient process of crime investigation. Having a list of people who are offenders can also help in the matching of these lists. These can lead to a comprehensive investigation where links can be made between a particular crime and larger organizations involved in the perpetration of violence, in arms and drugs traffic, and so on and so forth. Creating a network that can then lead to multiple arrests and convictions (later on) can be the result of creating such databases and collecting DNA samples in the beginning of an investigation. Cooperation with international organizations that seek to fight terror can be improved in a quick and efficient way if such databases are available. Considering the manner in which international diplomacy works, it would be useful for a country to have the DNA samples of a suspect right at the time of arrest rather than after conviction. Enabling DNA samples to be collected at the time of the arrest of a criminal would also lead to a chain of consequences. This would include, as said earlier, a decrease in the crime rate in the country. This has many implications for the nation as it would increase its attractiveness for foreign investors and also attract qualified people from other countries who can contribute to the economy of the United States of America. This would lead to other effects such as a better environment for domestic investors. Better use of technology can also improve the relations between the government and the people as the masses would understand that their government is concerned about the after-effects of crime in the state of law and order. This would again be converted into the creation of jobs within the economy and a reduction in the unemployment rate that has been plaguing the nation for a while now. The increase in the number of jobs would then lead to the growth of the economy. The increase in the standard of living economically would thus be accompanied by a decrease in the crime rate that would enhance the quality of life of the society as a whole. Ensuring the safety of the people of a nation is the primary duty of the law enforcement agencies of that country. It should be the duty of the executive and legislative wings of the government of a country. Both need to work in unison for the fulfilment of this aim. In the context of the timely collection of DNA samples, this would mean that investigators of crimes must be given the freedom to investigate the crime in the ways that they deem appropriate. Of course, this does not mean that the rights of people may be violated. The collection of DNA samples, however, does not lead to any violation of the rights of an individual when we consider the matter in the context of modern society, of which organized crime has become almost an undeniable part. To root out this perception from the public consciousness would require a herculean effort on the part of the people who are a part of crime investigation agencies. This would involve, apart from the use of better technology, an urge to adopt urgent methods of crime detection. Methods of detection that are quick are likely to be appreciated more than those that are considered to be ultra-conservative. Appreciation is likely to be gained by methods that yield results than by those that only keep up appearances of the protection of the rights of the people. For the protection of these very rights, it is important that legislation is passed, throughout the United States of America, for the collection of DNA samples at the time of arrest. References Use of DNA in criminal investigations. (n.d.). Retrieved 12th July, 2012, from http://criminal.lawyers.com/Criminal-Law-Basics/Use-of-DNA-in-Criminal-Investigations.html Using DNA to solve crimes. (n.d.). Retrieved 12th July, 2012, from http://www.justice.gov/ag/dnapolicybook_solve_crimes.htm Why pass this law? (n.d.). Retrieved 12th July, 2012, from http://www.dnasaves.org/dna_law.php Srubas, Paul. (2012). Wisconsin governor Scott Walkers DNA plan prompts concerns. Retrieved 12th July, 2012, from http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20120416/APC010401/204160504/Wisconsin-Governor-Scott-Walker-s-DNA-plan-prompts-concerns?nclick_check=1 Ritter, Nancy. (2010). DNA solves property crimes (but are we ready for that?). Retrieved 12th July, 2012, from http://www.nij.gov/journals/261/dna-solves-property-crimes.htm Read More