The Governor just signed a new law that requires people suspected of committing violent felonies to give a sample of their DNA. It's designed to help law enforcement officers identify violent criminals, but it could also put major stress on an already burdened State Police Crime Lab system.
The new DNA profiling law is the subject of this Fact Finder Report.
Governor Granholm signed legislation Monday that amends the Michigan Penal Code. The new law requires suspects to provide DNA samples upon arrest. Previously the DNA samples were required only upon conviction of violent crimes. The DNA samples would be taken for crimes like felonious assault, murder, kidnapping, sexual assault and armed robbery. The goal of the law is to use technology to identify suspects in other violent crimes. But when the new law goes into effect July 1, 2009, it means a lot of extra work for a unit in the State Police Crime Lab.
There are seven crime labs across the state, including one in Grayling and as we've previously reported, there are case backlogs stretching several months. DNA samples are only handled at three labs, Lansing, Northville, and Grand Rapids. But the DNA samples for this legislation will only be handled by the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, Unit in Lansing.
State Police Officials tell 7 & 4 News they anticipate 6,000 additional samples every year with this new legislation, coming at a price tag of $1 million. State Police Officials hope that funding will be available in the next state budget cycle to hire more lab technicians, but with the current state budget crisis, that is not guaranteed. But if they don't get the funding, State Police Lab Officials fear the CODIS Unit will face the same backlogs other crime labs across the state are facing, which may effectively keep the law from doing what it was designed to do in the first place!
And what will happen to the DNA of a suspect how is found not guilty of a crime? We are told that it will be destroyed.
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