Is it Time for a Universal Genetic Forensic Database?

Abstract

There is evidence that existing forensic databases have more than made up for their initial costs by increasing the efficiency, accuracy, and success rate of ongoing criminal investigations and by deterring would-be crimals. At the very least, putting the idea of a universal forensic database on the table would spur a long overdue debate about the deficiencies of the current system, and more broadly, our societal commitment to privacy, fairness, and equal protection under the law.