Changing tactics in fight against crime

In its annual review the Merchants Quay charity noted that drug abuse is growing throughout the country.

Nearly half of those using the charity’s residential facilities in Dublin are from outside the capital.

The charity, which has needle-swapping facilities at eight centres in Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath, noted that there was an increase of over 15% of new users last year. There are already an estimated 20,000 heroin addicts in the country, with 10,000 men and women on a methadone programme.

We have been trying to combat narcotic abuse with tactics that have failed to reverse the drug problems in other countries, and nobody should be surprised that these tactics have failed here, too.

Tackling this and other growing forms of crime require different tactics. This week the Cabinet approved the new Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database) Bill, which will be published next week.

This is designed to provide for the establishment of a DNA database, like those already in operation in many EU countries. Henceforth criminals convicted of serious offences could be required to submit a sample of DNA, which will be retained on a database to assist the Garda in solving future crimes.

DNA has already been used successfully in this country to solve many serious crimes. The gardaí must, however, have strong grounds for suspicion before they can demand a DNA sample from a suspect.

Under existing legislation samples cannot be retained for checking in the case of future crimes. If a database existed, a DNA sample could be checked against samples taken at other crime scenes.

What was the crazy thinking behind this in the past — was a it a case of giving the criminals a more sporting chance of getting away with their crimes?

A broad database should be kept strictly for dealing with crime.

Law-abiding people should have nothing to fear from DNA samples being used strictly in relation to criminal cases. Indeed, they would have much to gain, because it would be a means of helping to protect them against criminals. Of course, it should be strictly confined for use in criminal cases and not abused by other interests.

DNA has been used very successfully elsewhere to catch sex offenders, as well as violent criminals who may have left a piece of clothing at the crime scene or in a getaway car. The database has been found to be particularly useful in cases where the police had no clue other than DNA, which actually facilitated early detection. In the process culprits were probably arrested before they commit many other crimes.

That would have been particularly applicable in the case of sex crimes, where the culprits may tend to be compulsive offenders. In the most serious cases, it is unlikely that a grave crime would have been the perpetrator’s first offence, so early detection becomes a means of crime prevention.

Prevention should be the main aim of any police system.