Government
Police want earlier collection of DNA evidence
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By LAUREN GIBBONS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Proposed legislation that would allow collection of DNA samples at any felony arrest could change the nature of police work in Michigan, but advocacy groups are split on how much personal information is too much. Bills sponsored by Sens. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton, and Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, would allow on-scene investigators to collect DNA samples from suspects arrested for any felony. If passed, the bills would expand the state’s current DNA identification profiling system database. Currently, the law allows DNA collection of suspects at the time of arrest only for certain crimes, including assault, murder, kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct, robbery, indecent exposure and prostitution.