The NYPD's Growing DNA Database Raises Concern
The NYPD is increasingly turning to DNA to help solve crimes. And it's worked: The science has helped develop investigative leads and given prosecutors ammunition in court. But as the police have gotten more aggressive about collecting genetic material, they've quietly amassed a giant database of DNA profiles without any laws and little oversight over how they can use it.
As the science advances and the size of the databases grows, civil-liberties groups, defense attorneys and advocates are ringing alarm bells. WNYC and The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom focused on guns in America, took a look at the growth of law enforcement DNA databases. Click on the audio above to hear our story, and click here to read the print article, co-published with The Daily News.
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