Govt introduces bill for modern-day fingerprint

Government introduces bill for modern-day fingerprint

A bill introducing a critical tool in the Government’s fight against violent crime had its first reading in Parliament tonight by Justice Minister Simon Power.

The Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Amendment Bill expands the collection and use of DNA samples to help police solve more crime.

It allows police to collect DNA from people they ‘intend to charge’, and to match it against samples from unsolved crimes. At present, DNA can be collected only with consent, by judicial approval, or by compulsion where people are suspected or convicted of an offence punishable by more than seven years’ imprisonment, or another specified offence.

“The Government regards this legislation as critical in the fight against the escalating rate of crime.

“There are 90,000 DNA profiles in the DNA databank – more than 8,000 of them unidentified profiles from crime scenes – and the Government believes we should be making the best use of this technology to help solve more crime.

“This is the modern-day fingerprint, and the samples will be taken at the same time that police take fingerprints.

“There will be concerns in some sectors over storage and retention of samples, but this bill contains some very specific provisions around that. Unlike in some other countries, in this bill samples of people not convicted will be destroyed.

“And any misuse of profiles will be subject to the full extent of relevant law and civil rights protections, and the police will develop guidelines to avoid any arbitrary or unreasonable application of this power.

“It must be remembered that this tool can do just as much for those who are innocent as those who are found guilty of a crime.”

The implementation of DNA sampling will be introduced in two stages:

• The first will allow police to obtain and test the DNA profile of every person charged with serious offences where DNA trace evidence is often involved, crimes that indicate a propensity for more serious offending, and crimes such as aggravated assault, peeping, committing an indecent act in a public place, unlawful possession of a firearm, cruelty to a child, and male assaults female.

• The second stage, to come into effect by 2011, will enable samples to be taken from everyone charged with an imprisonable offence.

“Our preference was full implementation as soon as possible, but we need to allow Environmental Science & Research to adjust to the increased workload and for police to develop guidelines and train staff. Full implementation will occur by the end of 2011.

"We believe this is going to be a critical tool for the police to be able to conduct the work that they need to do to make New Zealand a safer place."

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