NCIC 2000 preparations in New Jersey
The Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division recently made a DNA cold hit on an unsolved 1996 rape and robbery case in Federal Way. Charges have subsequently been filed against a man already serving a 28-year term for another rape in 1998. His profile was in the database because of the prior rape conviction. A conviction in the new case could result in life in prison under the state's "two strikes" law for repeat sexual offenders.
Source: "Rape DNA reaches into prison for suspect" by Ian Ith; The Seattle (WA) Times, March 16, 2002, Pg. B3
DNA cold hit by Washington State Patrol
The Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division recently made a DNA cold hit on an unsolved 1996 rape and robbery case in Federal Way. Charges have subsequently been filed against a man already serving a 28-year term for another rape in 1998. His profile was in the database because of the prior rape conviction. A conviction in the new case could result in life in prison under the state's "two strikes" law for repeat sexual offenders.
Source: "Rape DNA reaches into prison for suspect" by Ian Ith; The Seattle (WA) Times, March 16, 2002, Pg. B3
Cumberland (RI) police buy new computers
The Cumberland (Rhode Island) Police Department is using department and grants funds to replace all 24 computers at the police station, getting a substantial discount by going through a state purchasing program. The computers will be able to use new crime mapping software, unlike the current six-year-old models. The $26,423.90 purchase price includes work stations, monitors, network switches, and a remote access server.
Source: "Police to get new computers for station" by Elizabeth Gudrais; The Providence (RI) Journal-Bulletin, March 21, 2002, Blackstone Valley edition, Pg. C1
North Dakota expands DNA database
North Dakota’s DNA database has tripled in size since a state law added new categories of felons required to provide samples, and now includes about 450 profiles. The 1995 law creating the database only included sex offenders, but the August 2001 law requires samples from people convicted of murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated assault and terrorizing. Although no crimes have yet been solved by the system, that should change as the database continues to grow.
Source: "State's DNA database for law enforcement sees rapid growth" by Brian Witte, Associated Press; The Bismarck (ND) Tribune, March 16, 2002, Pg. B1
NYPD gets mobile lab for bioterrorism testing
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) was given a state-of-the-art mobile laboratory where police can conduct on-site tests of suspected chemical and biological weapons. Although the federal government has 60 of the trucks for testing of air, soil, liquid or biological samples, the NYPD is the first municipal police force to get one. The manufacturer of the $750,000 mobile lab donated it to the nonprofit New York City Police Foundation, which gave it to the NYPD.
Source: "Police Get Mobile Lab; Designed to respond to biological or chemical attacks" by Melanie Lefkowitz; Newsday (New York, NY) March 20, 2002, Pg. A16
DNA cold hit in Missouri
Missouri's DNA database recently made its fourth cold hit on a murder case, identifying a suspect in the 1999 strangulation of a woman in Kansas City. Jackson County prosecutors filed first-degree charges for the crime against a man already serving 18 years for another murder in July 2000. As for the three other murder case cold hits, one man is still awaiting trial and the other two men were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Source: "DNA matches that of prisoner" by Joe Lambe; The Kansas City (MO) Star, March 12, 2002, Pg. B2
