About 300 are monitored by authorities, with the rest being used privately. Sure, in the short run we'll reduce crime. . . Perhaps the most vexing debate about future law enforcement tactics centers on the DNA question. Siegel cautions that broad DNA sampling would allow authorities to compile genetic profiles of criminals that could be misused. For example, a prosecutor might argue that a convicted defendant be given a stiffer prison sentence because he is somehow genetically predisposed to commit more crimes in the future.
Authorities say the concerns are outweighed by immeasurable benefits.
The potential benefits to law enforcement are unimaginable . Hirsch says he only uses DNA to identify an individual and discards all other genetic information. Hirsch's office has used DNA evidence to link Jones, for instance, to 17 alleged attacks, constructing four rape cases in three jurisdictions so far. The medical examiner expects the city to collect 4,000 DNA samples from those convicted of certain violent felonies this year, up from just a few hundred in 1998. Hirsch said he would like the city's DNA databank to eventually include 10 times that number.