Friday, April 19, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
The state Senate has approved a bill to expand New York’s database of DNA from convicted offenders. The measure, supported by Governor Cuomo and co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Patty Ritchie, …
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The state Senate has approved a bill to expand New York’s database of DNA from convicted offenders.
The measure, supported by Governor Cuomo and co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Patty Ritchie, would require law enforcement agencies to collect DNA samples upon conviction for any crime, whether a felony or misdemeanor. Right now, police can only collect samples from certain felony level offenders.
“The DNA database has proven itself to be the greatest crime fighting tool for law enforcement since the discovery of fingerprints,” Ritchie said.
“The DNA database has helped police solve over 10,000 crimes, 3,500 sexual assaults and 900 murders. Expanding it will help solve even more crimes,” she said.
She also noted that the database has helped exonerate 27 people who had been wrongly convicted.
