Federal law enforcement could now collect your DNA for a simple arrest after a law was signed. The Daily Star reports:
President Donald Trump has signed the Rapid DNA Act into law which means the police can routinely take DNA samples from people who are arrested but not yet convicted of a crime.
The law, which was signed in 2017 and comes into effect this year, will require several states to connect Rapid DNA machines to Codis – the national DNA database controlled by the FBI.
These machines, which are portable and about the same size as a desktop printer, are expected to become as routine a process as taking fingerprints.
But John W. Whitehead from The Rutherford Institute believes it is a sinister development which will make everyone a suspect.
This is outrageous, and a threat to the freedom of all Americans.
I am a law abiding citizen and a Vietnam veteran who took an oath to defend the constitution of the United States of America against ALL enemies both foreign and DOMESTIC!
I support law enforcement BUT just like gun control laws, this NEW law violates the 5th amendment which allows citizens to protect themselves from self INCRIMINATION.
Why have we all of a sudden decided that everyone is guilty UNTIL they prove themselves innocent? Yes, by not allowing this type of data harvesting it will make police and investigators job more difficult BUT that is BETTER than circumnavigating OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!
The American people are slowly LOOSING ALL of their freedom that so many of us fought and died for and they are allowing our young and uneducated to be brainwashed into going along with these DANGEROUS new laws!
Signed
A Vietnam era Veteran.
I agree! I understand the desire to get DNA but NOT before CONVICTION! Next they will want to CHIP US!
Well said!
They already have a fingerprint registry. Why do they need this?
I think this is a great idea. There have been many cases that were delayed in being solved because the DNA of the criminal was not on file. This expansion of Codis solve serious crimes like murder a lot sooner. Especially when we think about the Democrats allowing so many illegal aliens in the country. If they commit crimes such as murder, we may not be able to track them in the country unless someone collects their DNA and additional information on them at the time of their arrest. I think this is a great idea to collect more DNA from criminals. This should help to reduce our crime rates in the future.
Well, let’s carry your thought forward and require ALL people to provide DNA to be kept on file, so that the authorities can solve crimes immediately.. You go first…NO? You don’t want to do that? (Well, I don’t blame you…I don’t want to do that either.)
Just don’t leave your DNA at the crime scene, problem solved.
If a person is charged with a crime, they can be fingerprinted and photographed. AFAIK, that record is not expunged if they are exonerated. Where is the outcry over that? Recording DNA is an extension (and as definitive, if not more so) of that practice. DNA is unique to the individual as are fingerprints. What is the problem?
I think that keeping these identifiers in a data bank after a individual has be exonerated should not be allowed.
Fingerprints were definitely NOT expunged. FBI went back and computerized their records as far back as they had them.
Does that include fingerprints taken from an arrestee who is later exonerated? If so, that’s wrong IMO.
By the way. Contrary to myth, fingerprints are NOT unique. Fingerprints also do NOT give access to a person’s race and ethnicity. Believe me, if the Third Reich had access to this tech, there would have been even more death.
I hadn’t thought of that. Yes, there is more information that could possibly be used against an individual. If the data are expunged from the data base if a person is exonerated of a crime, then I see no problem with using DNA. However, I DON”T KNOW if that is the case. These data collected through arrest with the result being exoneration should be destroyed, not kept.
Solution: Just don’t get arrested!
Very Dangerous! A law that violates all of the founding of this U.S.A. s constitution and declaration of independence in deemed void.
The establishment can tell a lot more from your DNA than just who you are and believe me, once they get it they will use it EVERY way possible. Who is smart, who isn’t, here you are from just two examples.
That’s pretty much wrong. The current science does not allow prediction of IQ. Doesn’t allow prediction of facial features. Probably does allow prediction of skin and hair color. Knowledge of using DNA to predict disease is only just at a very early stage of development.
That’s today, what about tomorrow? They’re actually way further along than that: look at forensic anthropology. It’s only a matter of time until science will be able to determine sizes and efficiencies of various various subsystems in the human brain (and other organs) with in ranges from DNA data, At that point some future DNA “phrenologist” experts are going to predict your behavior (propensity) – a jury of your peers will be useless against impenetrable and seemingly infallible science. DNA is NOT foolproof, and your DNA changes over time. The crux of the problem is that police and prosecutors are not super geniuses capable of digesting let alone understanding as much as 1% of the reality around DNA science in the scope of the profession’s requirements for a myriad of other knowledge, experience and proficiency. Therefore, it will get boiled down to an overly simplistic system, that eventually gets relied on without skepticism on their part – it’s never wrong as far as they are concerned. Cops rarely understand the basics of even Bayesian statistics. Cops are overly reliant and overconfident in the tools they are given, and the marketing hype associated with them. While they can tell quality firearms, handcuffs and flashlights – software and science are generally magic to them (no offense intended, they just don’t have time to understand it) – Encase forensic software is the perfect example. It’s closed source, and only big companies and law enforcement can license it: getting experience with it involves acquiring a job where it’s used. The problem is that it’s presented as infallible to those users. 18 years ago, this was not the case, and people could evaluate it for issues.
Race is readily predicted by DNA, and could be easily abused. from race, common disease profiles are available.
Finally, how will the Chinese, Russians, Iranians, and North Koreans use the data against us when they break into the government database? The basic concept here is that you have to assume the system will be compromised and data lost, not if but when.
Sorry, I’m just not ready for the panopticon yet.
The bible forewarned us of this. Soon the mark of the beast will be implemented. Those who refuse it won’t be able to travel or get groceries. Look to China for what they are trying to do across the globe.
I wonder if I can patent my own DNA.
Nope, you cannot. “Works of nature” are not subject to patents protection. Heck, it anyone should be able to patent your DNA it would be your parents, not you. You didn’t invent your DNA.
Another congressional screwup? Think the following would be applicable, Forgive them, for they know not what they do?of course, if they did absent understanding, how come they manage to figure out how to get to their offices?
I don’t believe it is a threat to our freedom. If you don’t do the crime, you won’t do the time. Simple as that. Just keep a vlog, photo log, or phone log of what you do just in case some idiot decides to bring you trouble. The liberal way is you are guilty until proven innocent.
Texas Zonie
Orwell was a few decades early…
Micheal I think you’re right , and this is Creepy !