Police DNA register expected to grow strongly
DNA links suspects to crimes more often than fingerprints
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Finnish police have been able to trace criminals this year better by using the DNA traces detected at crime scenes than by traditional fingerprint analysis.
Compared to last year’s 748, a total of 1,400 DNA traces detected at crime scenes have been linked to their ”owners” already this year.
Respectively, the number of hits found in the fingerprint database so far this year is about 300, more than 1,000 fewer than the number of hits found in the DNA register.
The reason for this is partly the fact that criminals know how to avoid leaving their fingerprints at a crime scene, but cannot help leaving their DNA around the place.
The police DNA database has grown steadily, because a new law adopted at the beginning of this year as well as modern DNA sampling techniques have made it easier to take DNA samples from persons suspected of crimes. Moreover, there are currently about 15,000 DNA markers in the register compared with about 7,100 at the end of last year. According to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the number is expected to be about 18,500 at the end of this year.
In comparison, the fingerprint database contains about 220,000 fingerprints of persons that have been suspected or convicted of a crime.
Currently, police can take a sample from a suspect’s mouth, whereas previously a doctor or a nurse was needed to take a blood sample from a person suspected of a crime.
According to police, DNA markers have been very useful particularly when investigating crimes against property.
Kari Tolvanen of the violent crimes unit of the Helsinki police notes, however, that DNA forms only one part of technical crime scene investigations. When investigating serious crimes, police still find fingerprints, fibres, and footprints as useful as ever before, says Tolvanen.
Helsingin Sanomat
