Genetics exam question - Essay Example

y through the increased potential for arrest and conviction of criminal elements, critics contend that the system opens the door for a big brother type of abuse. Though the system may result in an increase in the conviction rate, the personal nature of DNA information should be subject to the same standards as medical history and should not be warehoused in a central government location. There is little public disagreement as to the value of DNA when prosecuting a criminal who may be responsible for a child abduction or rape.

According to the government, "The national DNA database is a key police intelligence tool that helps to quickly identify offenders, make earlier arrests, secure more convictions, and provide critical investigative leads for police investigations" (The national DNA database 2007). However, as more people are entered into the database cross contamination of samples could make the information acquired unmanageable. In the case of property crimes, anyone who had been minimally in contact with the crime scene in the recent past could be considered a suspect (Linacre 2003, p.1841). This could potentially involve all of a stores recent customers if there was a break in or a robbery.

While it may help to place the perpetrator on a list of suspects, it would also incriminate a large number of innocent bystanders. Though the current requirements for collecting samples is restricted to those people that have been implicated in a crime, the protections are being compromised by law enforcement practices. During a recent investigation into a sexual assault in South London, the police department wrote a letter to the local population requesting voluntary DNA samples. However, the voluntary aspect was framed in a coercive effort.

The letter said in part, "Consider that the suspect is likely to refuse to provide a voluntary sample; catching him will be far easier if he is the only one" (cited in Lettice 2005). Innocent citizens may feel pressured into