DNA Samples As Fingerprints Of The Future

Felons in South Carolina by law must give a DNA sample after they've been convicted. If a proposed law is passed in the state, even people just arrested would have to submit their DNA. It's an idea that some call unconstitutional, but police officers and prosecutors say will get criminals off the streets. DNA samples from blood, hair or saliva are the fingerprint of the new age, says Horry County Solicitor Greg Hembree. "It's just a high tech method of personal identification." Law enforcement already takes DNA samples from convicted offenders, which are stored in an international database. Investigators can use DNA found at a crime scene to find suspects if they're in the database. "The bigger the DNA database gets, the easier it's going to be to identify criminals," says Carol Allen, Myrtle Beach Police Crime Scene Unit Supervisor. She says detectives could track down more criminals with the proposed state law. It would allow police to take DNA samples when someone is arrested. Police say it could help them catch criminals more quickly, and prosecutors say it could help them convict them more easily, unless, of course, they're innocent.