Arrests in Louvre Heist Show Power of DNA Databases in Solving Crimes

>Initially, the database contained only the DNA of sexual offenders. But, over the next five years, it grew to include people convicted — or merely suspected — of a much wider range of crimes, including murder, terrorism, drug trafficking, assault, theft and property damage.

>The process of being removed from the DNA database is so onerous that few pursue it, Mr. Poitevin said. Those who refuse to give a DNA sample face at least a year in prison and a fine of at least 15,000 euros, almost $17,400.

Yikes.

"We'll catch jewel theft suspects really fast; all we ask is that you let us create a giant surveillance database with your genetic material."

“Merely suspected” of a crime? Yikes.

So they can get DNA from someone suspected of “theft or property damage”??

So, in this case, the fact that persons were suspected of the crime meant that they could get their DNA? Turns out you don’t even need the database then! You can just get the DNA on-demand.

Let's not forget that each DNA sample also includes information about their relatives as well. I believe that's how the Golden State Killer was caught.

> The website identified 10 to 20 people who had the same great-great-great-grandparents as the Golden State Killer ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_James_DeAngelo#Investig...

That's about the size of it. Oddly enough, whether police can collect DNA from arrestees was the main legal issue in a moot court competition that I participated in some years back. The Supreme Court eventually took up that issue (in case originating in Maryland) and found that a DNA swab at the time of arrest was constitutional (see here for a summary: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2012/12-207).

It's not clear to me from the original article here whether France's system requires an actual arrest before they can demand that a person give DNA.