WASHINGTON — Councilmember Brooke Pinto says she is fighting to bring back a provision that would allow for DNA collection in the massive legislative crime bill package that is set for a final vote on Tuesday.
The provision would allow for the collection of DNA when a person is arrested for a felony even if they are not convicted for the crime. The DNA would then be placed in a police database.
However, last month the controversial provision was amended out of the bill after At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie voiced concerns about privacy. Ahead of the first vote, McDuffie said the provision was a violation of the principle of "innocent until proven guilty."
Civil rights groups like the DC Chapter of the ACLU also came out against the provision calling it an 'abuse of power.'
Just days ahead of the vote, Pinto who chairs the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety made a last minute push for the provision on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. "DNA analysis is a critical tool to close cases, increase accuracy, prevent recidivism, & support victims. We must include this in Secure DC, particularly for sexual assault & rape survivors--these cases are hard to prove & often committed multiple times," Pinto said.
US Attorney Matthew Graves also made an argument for the collection of DNA in an op-ed in the Washington Post.
Graves who has also faced backlash for the rise in crime in the District argues that 30 states collect DNA. He says that adding this tool would be crucial in serious rape and homicide cases that his office is working on.
Amid concerns about privacy, Graves wrote that the system used for the DNA collection, "does not contain any names or personal identifiers of the person."
The DC Council unanimously voted to pass the Secure DC bill. Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White was the only one to not vote 'yes' and instead voted 'present'.
For months Mayor Muriel Bowser has advocated for the Council to quickly approve the legislative package that includes harsher penalties for gun related crimes and brings back drug free zones.
Bowser also made a last-minute push for the approval of the legislation, and not a watered-down version of the bill during a public safety meeting with ANC Commissioners. "With the first two months of the year, compared to the first two months of last year, we have seen a significant decrease in crime. Although we need to see significantly more decreases in crime," Bowser told reporters following the meeting.