scholarly journals The Effects of DNA Databases on Crime

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Doleac
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Rigorous Analysis ◽  
Dna Databases ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
The Media ◽  
Aggregate Effects ◽  
Dna Profiles

Every US state has a database of criminal offenders' DNA profiles. These databases receive widespread attention in the media and popular culture, but there has been no rigorous analysis of their impact on crime. This paper intends to fill that gap. I exploit the details and timing of state DNA database expansions in two ways, first to address the effects of DNA profiling on individuals' subsequent criminal behavior and then to address the aggregate effects on crime rates. I show that DNA databases deter crime by profiled offenders, reduce crime rates, and are more cost-effective than traditional law enforcement tools. (JEL H76, K42)

Functioning of DNA Database in Poland

2017 ◽  
Vol 297 ◽  
pp. 59-65
Author(s):  
Anna Jurga ◽  
◽  
Jakub Mondzelewski ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Police Work ◽  
The Other ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Criminal Cases ◽  
Dna Databases ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
Small Collection ◽  
Dna Profiles

Forensic DNA databases that operate in the zone forming an interface between science and law have the purpose of gathering and processing DNA profiles for the needs of law enforcement and judicial authorities responsible for preventing and combating crime. Therefore, their appropriate functioning is important. On one hand, it improves efficiency of police work and, on the other hand, it has to play a required role in protecting citizen rights and personal data. The National DNA Database has functioned in Poland since 2007. Its effectiveness is correlated with the number of stored profiles. Despite small collection the Database has on numerous occasions proven its high usefulness in solving criminal cases. The possibility of carrying out searches in other countries databases, as well as legislative and organisational undertakings aiming at improvement of the Database operation are gradually bringing effects and result in an increased detective potential of this tool.

Pedigrees and Perpetrators: Uses of DNA and Genealogy in Forensic Investigations

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 535-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara H. Katsanis
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Genomic Databases ◽  
Dna Databases ◽  
Dna Evidence ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Polymorphism Data ◽  
Genome Comparisons

In the past few years, cases with DNA evidence that could not be solved with direct matches in DNA databases have benefited from comparing single-nucleotide polymorphism data with private and public genomic databases. Using a combination of genome comparisons and traditional genealogical research, investigators can triangulate distant relatives to the contributor of DNA data from a crime scene, ultimately identifying perpetrators of violent crimes. This approach has also been successful in identifying unknown deceased persons and perpetrators of lesser crimes. Such advances are bringing into focus ethical questions on how much access to DNA databases should be granted to law enforcement and how best to empower public genome contributors with control over their data. The necessary policies will take time to develop but can be informed by reflection on the familial searching policies developed for searches of the federal DNA database and considerations of the anonymity and privacy interests of civilians.

Turning Base Hits into Earned Runs: Improving the Effectiveness of Forensic DNA Data Bank Programs

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick R. Bieber
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Biological Samples ◽  
Data Bank ◽  
Crime Scene ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Potential Harm ◽  
The Public ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
Dna Profiles ◽  
Data Banks

Forensic data banks contain biological samples and DNA extracts as well as computerized databases of coded DNA profiles of convicted offenders, arrestees and crime scene samples. When used for investigative and law enforcement purposes, DNA data banks have been successful in providing key investigative leads in hundreds of criminal investigations. A number of these crimes would never have been resolved without use of such data banks. In addition, in some limited number of investigations, the exclusion of known suspects whose DNA profiles are known to be in an offender database can save valuable investigative time.Despite the above benefits, in hundreds of cases DNA samples are never collected and administrative and laboratory logjams delay prompt database searches. Furthermore, hundreds of DNA database matches (hits) languish, without any followup by law enforcement or prosecutors. These prevent or delay DNA matches and therefore can leave the public in grave risk of potential harm from recidivistic offenders who otherwise could have been apprehended and convicted if the process functioned more effectively.

scholarly journals Police Officer on the Frontline or a Soldier? The Effect of Police Militarization on Crime

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Bove ◽  
Evelina Gavrilova
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Military Aid ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Us Military ◽  
Local Police

Sparked by high-profile confrontations between police and citizens in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere, many commentators have criticized the excessive militarization of law enforcement. We investigate whether surplus military-grade equipment acquired by local police departments from the Pentagon has an effect on crime rates. We use temporal variations in US military expenditure and between-counties variation in the odds of receiving a positive amount of military aid to identify the causal effect of militarized policing on crime. We find that (i) military aid reduces street-level crime; (ii) the program is cost-effective; and (iii) there is evidence in favor of a deterrence mechanism. (JEL H56, H76, K42)

Autobiographies of Three Surviving Branch Davidians

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-197
Author(s):  
Catherine Wessinger
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Oral Histories ◽  
Initial Report ◽  
God's Will ◽  
Branch Davidians ◽  
The Bible ◽  
American Law ◽  
The Media ◽  
Federal Agents

This article provides an initial report on oral histories being collected from three surviving Branch Davidians: Bonnie Haldeman, the mother of David Koresh, Clive Doyle, and Sheila Martin. Their accounts are being made into autobiographies. Interviews with a fourth survivor, Catherine Matteson, are being prepared for deposit in an archive and inform the material gathered from Bonnie Haldeman, Clive Doyle, and Sheila Martin. Oral histories provided by these survivors humanize the Branch Davidians, who were dehumanized and erased in 1993 by the application of the pejorative ‘cult’ stereotype by the media and American law enforcement agents. These Branch Davidian accounts provide alternate narratives of what happened in 1993 at Mount Carmel Center outside Waco, Texas, to those provided by American federal agents, and flesh out the human dimensions of the community and the tragedy. Branch Davidians are differentiated from many other people primarily by their strong commitment to doing God's will as they understand it from the Bible. Otherwise they are ordinary, intelligent people with the same emotions, loves, and foibles as others.

scholarly journals Media Reports as a Tool for Timely Monitoring of COVID-19–Related Deaths Among First Responders—United States, April 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492199917
Author(s):  
Kaitlin Kelly-Reif ◽  
Jessica L. Rinsky ◽  
Sophia K. Chiu ◽  
Sherry Burrer ◽  
Marie A. de Perio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
First Responders ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Exposure Source ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Traditional Surveillance

We aimed to describe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths among first responders early in the COVID-19 pandemic. We used media reports to gather timely information about COVID-19–related deaths among first responders during March 30–April 30, 2020, and evaluated the sensitivity of media scanning compared with traditional surveillance. We abstracted information about demographic characteristics, occupation, underlying conditions, and exposure source. Twelve of 19 US public health jurisdictions with data on reported deaths provided verification, and 7 jurisdictions reported whether additional deaths had occurred; we calculated the sensitivity of media scanning among these 7 jurisdictions. We identified 97 COVID-19–related first-responder deaths during the study period through media and jurisdiction reports. Participating jurisdictions reported 5 deaths not reported by the media. Sixty-six decedents worked in law enforcement, and 31 decedents worked in fire/emergency medical services. Media reports rarely noted underlying conditions. The media scan sensitivity was 88% (95% CI, 73%-96%) in the subset of 7 jurisdictions. Media reports demonstrated high sensitivity in documenting COVID-19–related deaths among first responders; however, information on risk factors was scarce. Routine collection of data on industry and occupation could improve understanding of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality among all workers.

scholarly journals Corporate Governance of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Interest

Information ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 275
Author(s):  
Peter Cihon ◽  
Jonas Schuett ◽  
Seth D. Baum
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Department Of Defense ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Media ◽  
The U.S

Corporations play a major role in artificial intelligence (AI) research, development, and deployment, with profound consequences for society. This paper surveys opportunities to improve how corporations govern their AI activities so as to better advance the public interest. The paper focuses on the roles of and opportunities for a wide range of actors inside the corporation—managers, workers, and investors—and outside the corporation—corporate partners and competitors, industry consortia, nonprofit organizations, the public, the media, and governments. Whereas prior work on multistakeholder AI governance has proposed dedicated institutions to bring together diverse actors and stakeholders, this paper explores the opportunities they have even in the absence of dedicated multistakeholder institutions. The paper illustrates these opportunities with many cases, including the participation of Google in the U.S. Department of Defense Project Maven; the publication of potentially harmful AI research by OpenAI, with input from the Partnership on AI; and the sale of facial recognition technology to law enforcement by corporations including Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft. These and other cases demonstrate the wide range of mechanisms to advance AI corporate governance in the public interest, especially when diverse actors work together.

Due process implications of law enforcement agencies using Investigative Genetic Genealogy to solve serious crimes

2021 ◽  
pp. 1037969X2110072
Author(s):  
Rhanee Rego ◽  
John Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Due Process ◽  
Criminal Procedure ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Dna Databases ◽  
Genetic Genealogy ◽  
Legislative Reform ◽  
Critical Questions ◽  
Forensic Practice

Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) has opened up new frontiers in the search for the perpetrators of serious crimes. The pool of data held by consumer DNA databases has enabled law enforcement agencies to undertake database matching to find biological relatives of an unknown perpetrator. This relatively new forensic practice is not, however, without concerns when benchmarked against established norms of investigative practice and criminal procedure. The critical questions emerge: how should IGG be used and in what circumstances? In this article, we contend that the current laws in Australia are not capable of regulating IGG appropriately and legislative reform is required.

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