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There is a pattern forming here. We have the US Department of Justice lifting its accuracy requirement that ensures the FBI criminal database records are timely and accurate.
Next we have USA Today reporting that the Bush Administration is seeking a broad expansion of the Federal DNA database, including not only juveniles but also those who have been arrested but never convicted.
White House seeks to expand DNA database
By Richard Willing, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON DNA profiles from juvenile offenders and from adults who have been arrested but not convicted would be added to the FBI's national DNA database under a Bush administration proposal.
Under current law, only DNA from adults convicted of crimes can be placed in the national database, which is used to compare those samples with biological evidence from the scenes of unsolved crimes. As of January, there were about 1.3 million DNA samples in the database, U.S. officials say.
Adding profiles from thousands of adult arrestees and juvenile offenders would greatly expand the DNA system's worth by increasing the number of potential matches, administration officials say. Justice Department officials have discussed potential changes in federal DNA law with key members of Congress and are pushing for legislation this year. [...] [USA Today]
Finally, we have the Associated Press reporting that the FBI Crime Lab is under investigation, again, for falsifying evidence.
New allegations cast a shadow on FBI crime lab
By John Solomon, Associated Press, 4/16/2003
WASHINGTON -- Reorganized after controversy in the mid-1990s, the FBI crime lab is dealing with new allegations of wrongdoing by employees that have opened the door for challenges of the lab's science in scores of cases involving DNA and bullet analysis, internal documents show.
An FBI lab scientist, who connected suspects to bullets through lead analysis, has been indicted after admitting she gave false testimony, and a technician has resigned while under investigation for alleged improper testing of more than 100 DNA samples, according to records and interviews.
In addition, one of the lab's retired metallurgists is challenging the bureau's science on bullet analysis, prompting the FBI to ask the National Academy of Sciences to review its methodology, the records obtained by the Associated Press show.[...] [Boston Globe]
Words cannot express how safe I feel knowing our fearless leaders are working night and day to protect us from....well, something.
Law enforcement is sort of like public education. I know some good folks who are on the streets doing police and detective work. They try hard, use the system as best they can, and want to do a dangerous job to the best of their ability. But the law enforcement bureaucracy is another matter -- populated by egomaniacal, power-mongering, self-serving bureaucrats who get real jollies wielding power over everyday citizens. The reality of law enforcement and criminal investigation is nothing like CSI Miami, any more than your local high school runs like Boston Public.
We need to be very vigilant about how this administration changes the rules of law enforcement and alters the balance between liberty and security. It is far easier to give away liberty than to get it back.
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