DNA Intelligence Databases

The growth of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) intelligence databases has increased the involvement of forensic science in law enforcement. DNA intelligence databases frequently produce links in a wide range of crime types, which, when analyzed, provide a repository of information on crimes and criminals. The ability of DNA to incriminate or exonerate was extended during the 1990s by the advent of DNA intelligence databases. Typically DNA intelligence databases consist of two separate collections of profiles: a database of the profiles of individuals who have either volunteered or been compelled to submit samples and a database of profiles obtained from samples from crime scenes or exhibits associated with an alleged offence. As the technology that forms the basis for DNA intelligence databases is specialized, the operational components have remained the responsibility of forensic biology laboratories. Forensic DNA databases have altered the landscape of the criminal justice system and reshaped the field of forensic science.