DNA collection in Dallas
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/kdaf-dallas-prostitute-diversion-story,0,5459597.column
DALLAS
Jammie Wolf spent 23 years on the streets as a prostitute. She stole a car, went to prison and lost her kids. But she overcame it and two years ago started helping other women turn their lives around.
"For me, the scariest part was the hopelessness," Wolf said.
Dallas Police say prostitutes are 200 times more likely to become victims of violent crime than the general population. So starting early next year, officers will begin collecting voluntary DNA samples from prostitutes.
"My command staff did not believe that these women would voluntarily submit to this DNA database, so we did a survey of all the women that are currently in the program and 100% said that they would," said Sgt. Louis Felini with Dallas Police.
The goal is to one day establish a national DNA database, so crime victims and their offenders can be identified.
"I don't care where you come from or what you do. You're family deserves closure if something happens to you," Wolf said.
At first some police officers had difficulty seeing the prostitutes as victims, but not anymore.
"From month to month, I've seen them change and look at it from a different perspective," said Karen Green, who also overcame prostitution.
Green hopes that view spreads nationwide.
while i am glad to hear more police services are moving away from punishment towards protection, i have some major issues with this.
exactly how will collecting sex workers DNA identify their assailants? and what are the limitations to accessing that information/ DNA samples? will some student be able to test for a sex worker gene?
in halifax sex workers DNA was collected and the only man responsibe for those samples has retired leaving the samples in limbo...who knows what has happened to them.....
in my opinion the only way DNA collection could help to solve crimes against sex workers is if ALL citizens submitted for DNA sampling. the only purpose served by collecting DNA from sex workers is to make police services job easier when trying to identify our bodies. for me it is a slap in the face. what part of serve and protect are we missing? this is just anoter useless tactic on the part of polic services to try to look as if they are doing something about those "prostitution murders".
think about it as a canadian citizen, would you submit your DNA in a mandatory DNA data base?with no clear limitations to access to your personal and private information?and no clear policies for the use of your personal and private information and by whom?
this is so unethical......
i wonder if the workers were given all the information they needed to form informed consent?were they given guarantees of confidentiality? or will they be on record as sex workers?
I don't necessarily have a problem with this Susan. Consider the admittedly extreme case of Robert Pickton. If this volumtary databank has existed in Vancouver, then a lot of families would have definitive answers and it would have been easier to prosecute him
As a rule, DNA databanks scare me as I find the concept intrusive. In this case though, maybe there is some merit to the idea.
i suppose, in terms of proving a person had contact with a particular individual....but could that not be achieved by a DNA sample being collected when and if a person goes missing?my main concern is lack of clear limitations to accessing this data and no clear limitations on what it can be used for........
I agree with you completely Susan.
I don't know what the mechanics of DNA collection and storage are. Is there any reason that it has to be stored centrally?
i am not sure......? we did have a discussion once in vancouver that it could be a role of the union...each local would be responsible for collection and storage of DNA for these purposes and that that way we could limit access to this private informtion that way. each local would be responsibe for determining if a threat to the life or safety of a person had occured/was occuring on a case by case basis.....
of course those descisions would have to be scrutinized by sex industry review boards/working groups? and ultimately the sex industry review board would have the final decision...
just a thought on a way it could work and be safe.
By Charles Mpaka
A Malawian sex worker who says she was forced by police to undergo an HIV test.
Credit:Charles Mpaka
LILONGWE, Oct 10 (IPS) - It was, Malawian police say, a routine sweep for criminals at one of the country's busiest border posts. They were looking for criminals.
But when police arrested 14 prostitutes as part of their search, and then allegedly forcefully tested them for HIV and charged them for "deliberately trading in sex while having a sexually transmitted disease", human rights organisations had to step in.
The forceful HIV testing of the sex workers was a violation of the women's rights, human rights organisations say. But Malawian police have claimed that it was nothing more than just a routine part of their of job.