DNA databases have proven to be invaluable to the law enforcement community and the victims of violent crimes and their families…..

The following article first appeared in August 2012 in DNA Forensics: News and Information about DNA Databases

Mauritius Receives the CODIS Software from the FBI

Thursday, August 23, 2012: “The FBI announced plans to share the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) technology with their law enforcement partners in Mauritius. The initiative demonstrates and reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to assist international law enforcement agencies in combating violent crime. A letter of agreement will allow the Mauritius Forensic Science Laboratory to operate a DNA database, utilizing the same platform as many of its South American, Mexican, and Caribbean counterparts.

Once CODIS is installed, the Mauritius Forensic Science Laboratory will join more than 70 international laboratories that are using the software for the management of its DNA data. The CODIS system provided will have no connectivity to the U.S. National DNA database.

The FBI Laboratory sponsors CODIS as part of a technical assistance program to international law enforcement forensic laboratories. CODIS blends forensic science and computer technology into an effective tool for solving violent crimes. The software allows laboratories to store, compare, and match DNA records from offenders, crime scene evidence, unidentified human remains, and relatives of missing persons. Centralized DNA data enables law enforcement to benefit from new information in previously unrelated investigations.

In 1998 the National DNA database, known as the National DNA Index System (NDIS), was established in the United States. Currently, NDIS has over 11 million searchable profiles and has aided over 177,000 investigations.

DNA databases have proven to be invaluable to the law enforcement community and the victims of violent crimes and their families. They have been particularly helpful to investigations that are very old and no longer producing new leads. Decades ago, crimes from cold cases would have remained unsolved.

With the participation of more than 260 laboratories in over 35 countries, CODIS software has been instrumental in solving violent crimes throughout the world.”

More about CODIS

In the USA, CODIS currently consists of three distinct geographic levels: National, State, and Local.

• National DNA Index System (NDIS)
• State DNA Index System (SDIS)
• Local DNA Index System (LDIS)

NDIS is maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.). Each member state has one designated SDIS location, with each participating forensic science agency maintaining a local (LDIS) database.

Currently each CODIS database is comprised of three distinct indexes, Casework, Convicted Offender, and Population. Law enforcement agencies utilize the Casework and Convicted Offender indexes to search for matching DNA profiles. This enables State Departments of Forensic Sciences to link previously unrelated serial cases, as well as identify perpetrators in “unknown suspect” cases by searching the DNA profile of the crime scene biological evidence against the DNA profiles of previously convicted felons maintained within the Convicted Offender index.

With South Africa’s new DNA legislation currently pending final review by the Portfolio Committe on Police, we hope that the South African government will also look to implement CODIS to assist it with the efficient management of its National DNA Database. If an island as small as Mauritius with virtually no crime feels the need to implement this freely available forensic technology, what excuse do we have not to take full advantage of this opportunity too?

Vanessa

This entry was posted on Tue, Sep 18th, 2012 at 11:37 am and is filed under DNA Project. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.