Quote:
Originally Posted by TRWXXA  The point is... Wouldn't it be handy if they could have invented a kit that could also collect DNA evidence from a knife, or a baseball bat (or the candlestick found in the library with Professor Plum).
*removes tounge from cheek* |
Ah, I see! I guess some people see everything the government does an attack on gun rights.
That is not what these kits are about at all. The simple fact of the matter is, gun crime is by far the most prevalent type of violent crime in Indianapolis, or any other city for that matter. This is why criminals using guns are specifically being targeted. There is no reason why these kits cannot be used to obtain DNA from other surfaces, of course. Knives, ball bats, etc would probably all yield a DNA sample. But this techology is new for us, and that's why it is being concentrated on the most widely occuring type of violent crime.
DNA collection has never been done in the field at this level. In the past, DNA collection was restricted to actual body fluids on the scene, submitted to the crime lab. Not trace amounts of skin cells. The ABILITY to obtain a usuable DNA profile from such a small amount of skin cells, collectable in the field by evidence technicians, is something new.
Another factor is cost. The public typically is most frightened of the effects of violent crimes perpetrated with guns. This new techology is first being concentrated on gun crimes because THAT is the hot issue right now. Later, after the techology is field-tested and proven, I expect DNA collection of this type to be more common in non-violent crimes such as burglaries, high-dollar property crimes, etc. But DNA analysis is not cheap, so initially, the focus must be on the highest priority cases.
If we have a case where a knife or other weapon is used in a crime, of course we could use these kits to obtain DNA evidence. Unfortunately, as I said before, crimes committed by dirtbags with guns are far more common than violent crimes committed with other types of weapons.
Criminals with guns are one of the biggest threats to the rights of the law-abiding gun owners in our nation. The liberal media are able to use gun crimes as ammunition in their arguments for more restrictions on guns and ammunition. Nevermind that it makes no sense to punish the law-abiding for the actions of the criminal....you know how the sheep think. I would hope that any tool that we have to solidify our cases against gun criminals and put them away in prison would be supported by those who abide by the law and use guns responsibly.