Tony Rand's proposed DNA database is scary news for innocent citizens
A bill by North Carolina Senator Tony Rand (D-Cumberland)
to collect DNA samples from everyone arrested for any crime
is a dangerous expansion of government power that blurs the
distinction between the innocent and the guilty, warned the
Libertarian Party of North Carolina.
"This proposal would subject thousands of legally innocent
people to an invasive, unconstitutional search," charged
Sean Haugh, the Libertarian State Chair. "Worse, it would
allow the government to inspect and keep track of your most
personal genetic information."
The government already maintains a DNA database of
convicted murderers, rapists, and child molesters, but this
new proposal represents the first time the state government
has sought the power to collect genetic material from
people never convicted of any crime.
Sen. Rand, in support of his proposal, claims that the DNA
would be collected for identification purposes only. In
response to those who warn that his idea would result in
unconstitutional invasion of privacy, he says he's only
trying to "make it easier for law enforcement."
Haugh urged Rand to consider the unintended consequences of
his bill. "It is the nature of government to expand its
authority," said Haugh. "Once the state has your genes on
file, sooner or later they'll find plenty of reasons to dig
deeper into your most personal secrets."
"DNA is not an external identifier, like your
fingerprints," said Haugh. "It is deeply personal
information that contains data about the very essence of
who you are, including your health and other hereditary
factors. And once the state has your genetic profile, it
could all easily end up in the hands of your insurance
company or on your credit report, not to mention with other
branches of state and federal government."
"Of all the people arrested, only an estimated 61% are
convicted of a crime," said Haugh. "This means that
thousands of legally innocent people could be treated the
same way we now treat murderers, rapists, and child
molesters. That's wrong, plain and simple."
Sen. Rand's bill also fails to account for the inability of
government to perform such a complex task. Ironically, the
proposal comes after the FBI demonstrated that it can not
even keep track of the DNA of criminals who have actually
been convicted of violent crimes.
The current national DNA database contains 38,000 criminal
genetic profiles -- but another 250,000 samples must be
re-analyzed to meet FBI standards, and another 350,000 to
400,000 samples are backlogged, waiting to be analyzed.
"If Sen. Rand suggested we use DNA testing to free innocent
people who were wrongly convicted, he might be on to
something," said Haugh. "Unfortunately, his proposal is
just another way for government to rob us of our liberties
while pretending, and failing, to get tough on criminals.
The General Assembly needs to vote down this bill."
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