• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Featured
    • K-9 lifesaver
      Cop Hobbies: Geocaching
      From cop to dad
      Getting some shut-eye
      Police technology: Why so far behind?
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • The gatekeepers of school safety
        Reality bites
        Over two decades of catching online predators
        Party bus bust
        If you’re not telling your story on social media, who is?
    • Labor
      • NYPD disciplinary records made public
        Raising the bar
        Retirements up, recruiting down
        Maryland considers repealing officers’ bill of rights
        The fight for diversity
    • Tech
      • Data-driven investigations
        Police technology: Why so far behind?
        Charlotte-Mecklenburg police use key technology to battle crime wave
        Denver police gun detection technology pays off
        Reliable sources
    • Training
      • LPVO: The Goldilocks of AR optics
        Chicago PD introduces real-life situation training
        Reset in recoil: Working with your gun, not against it
        K-9 lifesaver
        South Carolina technical colleges looking to offer law enforcement...
    • Policy
      • Minneapolis decides to “refund” police following crime increase
        NYPD disciplinary records made public
        Pennsylvania top court decides on warrantless vehicle searches
        Capitol confusion
        Biden executive order bans police access to high-tech military...
    • Health/Wellness
      • Capitol riot suicides shine light on police mental health struggles
        So much for those New Year’s resolutions, eh?
        Save jobs and lives
        Everyday work trauma and your brain
        Getting some shut-eye
    • Community
      • Life-changing gifts
        Honoring Nashville’s heroes
        From cop to dad
        South Carolina technical colleges looking to offer law enforcement...
        Record carjackings across the country
    • Humor
      • The force is strong with this one
        Dude, where’s my car?
        Dressed to impress
        How to retire angry
        Ousted police chief makes his departure brief — literally
    • We Remember
      • Slain Capitol Police officer honored
        A thread of courage and love
        COVID-19 “very likely” to kill more cops than 9/11
        Always honored, never forgotten
        More space needed at National Memorial
  • On the Job
    • The gatekeepers of school safety
      Reality bites
      Over two decades of catching online predators
      Party bus bust
      If you’re not telling your story on social media, who is?
  • Labor
    • NYPD disciplinary records made public
      Raising the bar
      Retirements up, recruiting down
      Maryland considers repealing officers’ bill of rights
      The fight for diversity
  • Tech
    • Data-driven investigations
      Police technology: Why so far behind?
      Charlotte-Mecklenburg police use key technology to battle crime wave
      Denver police gun detection technology pays off
      Reliable sources
  • Training
    • LPVO: The Goldilocks of AR optics
      Chicago PD introduces real-life situation training
      Reset in recoil: Working with your gun, not against it
      K-9 lifesaver
      South Carolina technical colleges looking to offer law enforcement...
  • Policy
    • Minneapolis decides to “refund” police following crime increase
      NYPD disciplinary records made public
      Pennsylvania top court decides on warrantless vehicle searches
      Capitol confusion
      Biden executive order bans police access to high-tech military...
  • Health/Wellness
    • Capitol riot suicides shine light on police mental health struggles
      So much for those New Year’s resolutions, eh?
      Save jobs and lives
      Everyday work trauma and your brain
      Getting some shut-eye
  • Community
    • Life-changing gifts
      Honoring Nashville’s heroes
      From cop to dad
      South Carolina technical colleges looking to offer law enforcement...
      Record carjackings across the country
  • Humor
    • The force is strong with this one
      Dude, where’s my car?
      Dressed to impress
      How to retire angry
      Ousted police chief makes his departure brief — literally
  • We Remember
    • Slain Capitol Police officer honored
      A thread of courage and love
      COVID-19 “very likely” to kill more cops than 9/11
      Always honored, never forgotten
      More space needed at National Memorial
  • Jobs and Careers
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Tech

Most Americans agree cops should have access to DNA testing data

Published March 12, 2020 @ 1:21 pm PDT

iStock.com/artoleshko

Those who oppose DNA testing companies such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA  sharing customers’ genetic data with law enforcement agencies to help solve crimes are in the minority, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

The report found that 48% of Americans say it’s acceptable for customers’ genetic data to be shared with police, while just 33% are against it and 18% are unsure. Of those surveyed, women were more likely than men to find the practice acceptable (53% versus 43%), and adults over age 50 were more likely than those in the 18–49 range (56% versus 42%).

The study comes soon after the Department of Justice announced guidelines giving investigators permission to use data gathered by DNA testing websites in investigations. The policy, which went into effect late last year, is meant to balance the Department of Justice’s commitment to solving crimes and protecting public privacy and civil liberties. In summary, a DNA sample taken from the scene of a crime that does not match any samples available in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System will not bring up a lead. As a result, it’s outsourced to a laboratory and is given an in-depth analysis. The genetic profile is then entered into at least one publicly available genetic genealogy service and compared against the genetic profiles of individuals who have voluntarily submitted their own samples.

The computer’s algorithm then evaluates potential familial relationships between the sample donor and the website’s users. If a match is detected, it generates a lead and law enforcement can use the lead to further their investigation using traditional investigative and genealogical methods.   

DNA testing in criminal cases was largely brought to light in 2018 when law enforcement discovered the infamous “Golden State Killer,” who murdered 12 people and raped 45 women between 1976 and 1986, by tracking the suspect through his family tree using the website GEDmatch.

Time will tell if more Americans will favor law enforcement utilizing DNA testing data as more criminals are brought to justice.

As seen in the March 2020 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
Don’t miss out on another issue today! Click below:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Categories: Tech

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • The gatekeepers of school safety
  • Capitol riot suicides shine light on police mental health struggles
  • Minneapolis decides to “refund” police following crime increase
  • Reality bites
  • Over two decades of catching online predators
  • Party bus bust
  • If you’re not telling your story on social media, who is?
  • Virtual currency investigations
  • So much for those New Year’s resolutions, eh?
  • Save jobs and lives
Advertise with APB

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Featured
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Humor
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers

Editor’s Picks

Ass-kissing, favoritism, oh my!

Ass-kissing, favoritism, oh my!

January 28, 2021

This K-9 is a gym rat at heart!

This K-9 is a gym rat at heart!

January 25, 2021

A thread of courage and love

A thread of courage and love

January 20, 2021

The job doesn’t love you back

The job doesn’t love you back

December 28, 2020

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2021 American Police Beat, Inc. | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close
Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.