Post by CCADP on Aug 13, 2005 20:42:45 GMT -5
Shelby-led committee seeks cut in DNA funds----Proposal disappoints Sexton, Swindle
Despite Tuscaloosa investigators recently cracking 7 years-old rape cases,
a committee headed by Sen. Richard Shelby has recommended funding cuts for
the method that led to the solving of these crimes.
Shelby, a Republican and Tuscaloosa resident, is chairman of the Senate's
Committee on Commerce, Justice and Science, which last month suggested
cutting a $177 million allocation for testing the nation's backlog of DNA
evidence to $89.5 million while earmarking 25 percent of it for special
forensic science lab grants.
The cut also altered the scope of the money. Instead of going exclusively
to DNA testing, the money will now support all aspects of the nation's
forensic science labs, including drug testing, ballistic analysis and
death examinations.
In Alabama, the funding cuts have some officials crying foul.
"Congress has set a course to make forensic DNA testing common practice
among law enforcement and focus on reducing the identified backlogs,"
wrote F. Taylor Noggle Jr., head of the Alabama Department of Forensic
Sciences, in a letter to Shelby.
"To change this direction and share this money with the other forensic
disciplines would consequently prevent DNA testing from reaching its full
potential, especially within Alabama."
In that letter, dated July 21, Noggle references the recent solving of
seven rapes that occurred in Tuscaloosa between 1989 and 2000 through a
$700,000 federal grant. This grant allowed the Birmingham forensic
sciences office to test previously unknown DNA samples against a state
database.
The result was the identification of suspects in these seven brutal
crimes, some of which involved the rape victim being abducted, beaten and
threatened with guns and knives.
Tuscaloosa police Chief Ken Swindle, an avid supporter of the state's
crime lab, said the proposed cuts were a disappointment.
"I hate to see any of the funding for DNA testing being slashed," Swindle
said.
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton, who is currently serving as
president of the National Sheriff's Association, said this potential
reduction is part of a nationwide cutback on local law enforcement
funding.
"It's a great concern to law enforcement," Sexton said of the cuts. "But
we are trying to address these issues with Congress to advise them of the
importance of these grants.
"DNA testing is vital, whether it's a cold or a current case."
Noggle referenced the national average of a 40 percent hit rate on cold,
non-suspect cases in states that have all-felon DNA databases, which have
been built in recent years by collecting DNA samples from every state
inmate convicted of a felony. He also mentioned that Alabama has solved
more than 285 cases since June 2004 solely on DNA evidence and has
identified suspects in 20 different states.
The DNA funding cuts also got the attention of several members of Congress
on both sides of the party aisle.
A July 27 letter signed by 21 members of the House of Representatives
called on the Senate's Committee on Appropriations to re-instate the full
$177 million that was approved by the House on the recommendation of
President Bush.
The House's recommendation, which is part of Bush's Justice for All Act of
2004, set aside the $177 million for DNA testing, with $151 million of
that exclusively for backlog testing under the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog
Grant Program.
"It is critical that this backlog of DNA samples is tested quickly as
statutes of limitation are expiring each day keeping cases from ever being
prosecuted," the House letter said. "Every untested rape kit is a missed
opportunity to solve a crime, and every time we fail to solve a crime we
leave the perpetrator free to strike again.
"We have an opportunity to solve these crimes and prevent future crimes,
and we must take that opportunity."
The Senate committee said it based its recommendation to cut and alter the
purpose of the money in part on statistics from the Bureau of Justice that
indicated the backlog at national forensic science labs was not limited
strictly to DNA and that new DNA analysis makes up 2 percent of the labs'
requests each year.
Shelby's office said the cuts do not indicate that the senator opposes DNA
testing.
Instead, the reductions were part of the committee's efforts to meet a
number of budgetary shortfalls.
"I believe it is important that not only DNA testing programs were funded
in the appropriations bill, but also other forensic sciences," Shelby said
in a prepared statement. "Recognizing the tight budget constraints
Congress faces, it was the subcommittee's intent to strike the appropriate
balance to ensure that these important programs received funding."
The senator's office also cited two groups who supported the relaxing of
the funding restrictions.
The Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations issued a press release
praising the Justice Committee's decision to allow the money to go toward
all aspects of forensic science.
"Funding DNA only is bad public policy," said Joseph Polski, chairman of
the forensic science organization. "DNA is a relatively small part -- less
than 5 % of lab work . . It is critical that funding support all aspects
of forensic science, because major crimes are solved by a broad spectrum
of forensic technology -- not just DNA."
The National Association of Medical Examiners also sent a letter, dated
Monday, to Shelby's office thanking him for the retainment of the Paul
Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grants, a $22 million
apportionment that will go to fund a variety of forensic science programs.
"Your commitment to the full spectrum of the forensic sciences rather than
simply singling out DNA testing reflects to me your leadership and
understanding of how the forensic science community and its partner, the
criminal justice system, stand potentially on the edge of an abyss without
this support," said Fred B. Jordan, president of the medical examiners
association, in the letter.
(source: The Tuscaloosa News)
Despite Tuscaloosa investigators recently cracking 7 years-old rape cases,
a committee headed by Sen. Richard Shelby has recommended funding cuts for
the method that led to the solving of these crimes.
Shelby, a Republican and Tuscaloosa resident, is chairman of the Senate's
Committee on Commerce, Justice and Science, which last month suggested
cutting a $177 million allocation for testing the nation's backlog of DNA
evidence to $89.5 million while earmarking 25 percent of it for special
forensic science lab grants.
The cut also altered the scope of the money. Instead of going exclusively
to DNA testing, the money will now support all aspects of the nation's
forensic science labs, including drug testing, ballistic analysis and
death examinations.
In Alabama, the funding cuts have some officials crying foul.
"Congress has set a course to make forensic DNA testing common practice
among law enforcement and focus on reducing the identified backlogs,"
wrote F. Taylor Noggle Jr., head of the Alabama Department of Forensic
Sciences, in a letter to Shelby.
"To change this direction and share this money with the other forensic
disciplines would consequently prevent DNA testing from reaching its full
potential, especially within Alabama."
In that letter, dated July 21, Noggle references the recent solving of
seven rapes that occurred in Tuscaloosa between 1989 and 2000 through a
$700,000 federal grant. This grant allowed the Birmingham forensic
sciences office to test previously unknown DNA samples against a state
database.
The result was the identification of suspects in these seven brutal
crimes, some of which involved the rape victim being abducted, beaten and
threatened with guns and knives.
Tuscaloosa police Chief Ken Swindle, an avid supporter of the state's
crime lab, said the proposed cuts were a disappointment.
"I hate to see any of the funding for DNA testing being slashed," Swindle
said.
Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton, who is currently serving as
president of the National Sheriff's Association, said this potential
reduction is part of a nationwide cutback on local law enforcement
funding.
"It's a great concern to law enforcement," Sexton said of the cuts. "But
we are trying to address these issues with Congress to advise them of the
importance of these grants.
"DNA testing is vital, whether it's a cold or a current case."
Noggle referenced the national average of a 40 percent hit rate on cold,
non-suspect cases in states that have all-felon DNA databases, which have
been built in recent years by collecting DNA samples from every state
inmate convicted of a felony. He also mentioned that Alabama has solved
more than 285 cases since June 2004 solely on DNA evidence and has
identified suspects in 20 different states.
The DNA funding cuts also got the attention of several members of Congress
on both sides of the party aisle.
A July 27 letter signed by 21 members of the House of Representatives
called on the Senate's Committee on Appropriations to re-instate the full
$177 million that was approved by the House on the recommendation of
President Bush.
The House's recommendation, which is part of Bush's Justice for All Act of
2004, set aside the $177 million for DNA testing, with $151 million of
that exclusively for backlog testing under the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog
Grant Program.
"It is critical that this backlog of DNA samples is tested quickly as
statutes of limitation are expiring each day keeping cases from ever being
prosecuted," the House letter said. "Every untested rape kit is a missed
opportunity to solve a crime, and every time we fail to solve a crime we
leave the perpetrator free to strike again.
"We have an opportunity to solve these crimes and prevent future crimes,
and we must take that opportunity."
The Senate committee said it based its recommendation to cut and alter the
purpose of the money in part on statistics from the Bureau of Justice that
indicated the backlog at national forensic science labs was not limited
strictly to DNA and that new DNA analysis makes up 2 percent of the labs'
requests each year.
Shelby's office said the cuts do not indicate that the senator opposes DNA
testing.
Instead, the reductions were part of the committee's efforts to meet a
number of budgetary shortfalls.
"I believe it is important that not only DNA testing programs were funded
in the appropriations bill, but also other forensic sciences," Shelby said
in a prepared statement. "Recognizing the tight budget constraints
Congress faces, it was the subcommittee's intent to strike the appropriate
balance to ensure that these important programs received funding."
The senator's office also cited two groups who supported the relaxing of
the funding restrictions.
The Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations issued a press release
praising the Justice Committee's decision to allow the money to go toward
all aspects of forensic science.
"Funding DNA only is bad public policy," said Joseph Polski, chairman of
the forensic science organization. "DNA is a relatively small part -- less
than 5 % of lab work . . It is critical that funding support all aspects
of forensic science, because major crimes are solved by a broad spectrum
of forensic technology -- not just DNA."
The National Association of Medical Examiners also sent a letter, dated
Monday, to Shelby's office thanking him for the retainment of the Paul
Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Grants, a $22 million
apportionment that will go to fund a variety of forensic science programs.
"Your commitment to the full spectrum of the forensic sciences rather than
simply singling out DNA testing reflects to me your leadership and
understanding of how the forensic science community and its partner, the
criminal justice system, stand potentially on the edge of an abyss without
this support," said Fred B. Jordan, president of the medical examiners
association, in the letter.
(source: The Tuscaloosa News)