Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle introduced a bill Monday that would require attainment of DNA from suspected criminals upon arrest.
In light of the recently discovered missing data of 12,000 convicted felons from the DNA database, legislators from both parties have begun to take action through audit and task force requests, and now through legislation.
State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, and state Rep. Ann Hraychuck, D-Balsam Lake, announced the introduction of a ""DNA Saves"" bill that would change the way DNA is acquired.
""Currently [DNA samples] are taken upon conviction,"" explained Jack Jablonski, spokesperson for Harsdorf. ""This would require them to be taken upon arrest, much like a fingerprint or mug shot.""
Obtaining DNA upon arrest is not a new idea. This procedure has been commonplace in the U.K. for some time, and California began taking DNA upon arrest in January of this year, according to the office of the California attorney general.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a statement that he believes this new procedure would help convict repeat offenders.
""There will be many times when somebody has committed a crime and they cannot figure out who that person is, but that person might have been arrested for something else and this would allow us to identify that person faster in the process,"" Jablonski said.
While stopping serial offenders is one of the main objectives of the bill, it is not the only initiative Harsdorf and Hraychuck said they hope to achieve with the legislation.
""DNA evidence not only saves costs for law enforcement agencies by expediting investigations, thereby preventing additional crimes, but it also exonerates those convicted of a crime they did not commit,"" Hraychuck said in a statement.
The collaboration of Harsdorf and Hraychuck shows there is bipartisan support on some public safety issues.
""It is in the best interest of the state of Wisconsin and its citizens to collect DNA at the time of arrest,"" Jablonski said. ""If there is partisanship, I haven't seen it. We just don't even think that it is a partisan issue.""
