What’s Grissom and the rest of the CSI gang to do if they can’t find criminals in CODIS?
The FBI has fallen behind in processing DNA from nearly 200,000 convicted criminals — 85% of all samples it has collected since 2001 — Justice Department records show.
The backlog, which expands monthly, means most of the biological samples the bureau collects have not been stored in the national DNA database and used to solve crimes. DNA from 34,000 convicts has been added to the database since 2001, resulting in 600 matches to unsolved crimes, according to statistics furnished by the Justice Department to the Senate Judiciary Committee. At the same rate, the unloaded samples could help solve an additional 3,200 crimes.
The lab processes about 5,500 samples a month, Todd said. The laboratory receives about 8,000 samples a month, meaning the backlog continues to grow.
In an oddly related note, a judge in Britain wants the entire country’s population to have their DNA entered into a database. If they do it at the FBI rate, by the time everyone’s in, everyone in it will be dead.
They’re too busy protecting us from terrorists that kill a couple of thousand people every few decades, to be protecting us from murderers that kill 20,000 of us every year.
I know why it takes so long, I’ve seen the TV shows…. they spend so much time falling in love with each other, having complex relationship issues, and developing really fancy 3d animation so they can explain things to each other that they never get a chance to talk to each other.
Surely there is some DNA lab in China this can all be farmed out to…
Another example where I want government to be incompetent. I don’t much like the idea of a big government database on all its subjects.
they spent all the money on terrorism, so there’s no money left to protect americans.
3–Mike, In context you are telling us you are a convicted felon?
I think it is YOUR type that should be dna’d for the protection of the rest of us.
Now, if you are being irrelevant and off topic and are against non convicted felons from being dna’d, then read the sentence just above.
You mean it’s not like “CSI” where they can put a single molecule in a DNA processor and seconds later it spits out the cell phone number and home address of the perp?
I’m confused.
5500 samples per month processed = 66,000 per year. 5 years since 2001 = 330,000. Why have only 10% of those been added to the database?
#7 because it’s easier to just wiretap everything and sit there hoping someone will say the magic words that will lead to osama bin laden’s secret lair
to do actual law enforcement and protect americans is too much like real work, and nowhere near as glamorous, and certainly not as entertaining as waterboarding
This is all a waste of time anyway. Don’t forget the words of the famous OJ juror: “lot’s of people have the same DNA”
>>In context you are telling us you are a convicted felon?
You’re getting a little obscure here, Bobski. I was “DNA’d” when I enrolled in for the bone marrow donor registry (you might consider it too (www.crir.org) and I’d be mighty pissed off if the gummint somehow got ahold of that information. However, I’m not a convicted felon.
All that ‘catching criminals’ crap is OK, I guess, but by God, you don’t think I’m gonna pay more in taxes for ’em to do it, do ya?
Bobbo
What is a non-convicted felon?
AND how much do the heads of FBI make? and the consultants??
Are these the folks that GROUP there translators together, THEN dont listen to them?? Or listen to the one that is NOT the best translator??
Are these the folks that Lost 300+ laptops in 5 years, with NO TRACEABLE software or hardware, NO list of WHO took out the laptop, OR even what data was lost..(not counting the CIA and others who have done the same)
Sure, make fun of those hard working saviors of life in the US. They know where each of you live ! Prepare to be..SAMPLED !!
#12
“What is a non-convicted felon?”
Either clever, lucky or has a good lawyer ^^
Non Convicted Felon. Loose on my part. Read “not a convicted felon.” I did not hyphenate the phrase and was drawing a contrast to the “convicted felon.” Not clear in isolation, quite clear in context.
MM- – -do you go out of your way to profess my opaqueness (sp?).
Why would ANYONE complain about dna’ing convicted felons??? And why would not wanting the general population to be dna’d be a supporting argument to such a proposition????? Clearly, the issues are seperate by a degree or two?
It won’t be long before dna sequencing is cheap enough to register us all—just like those other dangerous weapons, = = guns.
Fingerprints, footprints, dna. Do a crime, don’t leave your stuff around. Stupid criminals today leave their wallets on the crimescene, tomorrow it will be their dna.
I’m all for it. Privacy issues and discrimination to be enforced as the need will arise. On balance- – – – don’t stick your head in the sand.
This is all a waste of time anyway. Don’t forget the words of the famous OJ juror: “lot’s of people have the same DNA”
Wasn’t that Bush’s quote? Maybe you could supply the cite for it?
>>Why would ANYONE complain about dna’ing convicted felons???
I don’t think anyone is, Bobster. I’m talking about me, as a non-convicted non-felon, having my DNA magically transferred to some gummint agency, as per judge’s wish in the cited article. What happens when that information finds its way to the $100,000,000/year guys that run the insurance companies, and it turns out I have some gene that predisposes me to cancer or alzheimer’s disease or something, and I can’t get insurance? You know, same old liberal commie pinko ACLU violation-of-civil-rights thing.
If I should ever take it into my head to murder, rape, or commit some other felony, I either will take precautions not to leave my DNA behind, or live with the consequences. As a regular old law-abiding citizen, I consider my DNA profile to be my own business.
>>Privacy issues and discrimination to be enforced as
>>the need will arise…don’t stick your head in the sand.
Yeah, riiiiiiiight. If you’re willing to trust the NSA, FBI, CIA, the insurance industry, and all the rest to “enforce” privacy issues and discrimination, your head is the one the sand, m’hijito.
I think the wheels are coming off the bus, people. Time to get ready for a long hike.
So the FBI is sort of like…..CSI Timbuktu?