Published Tuesday, 27 March, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Minister for Police and Corrective Services
The Honourable Judy Spence
QUEENSLAND LEADS THE COUNTRY IN DNA DATABASE MATCHING
Queensland has set the national benchmark for DNA legislation and profile matching, Police Minister Judy Spence said today.
Ms Spence said she has endorsed an arrangement for other Australian jurisdictions to adopt Queensland’s DNA profile matching table, streamlining the sharing of DNA profiles interstate.
“Queensland is leading the country in its DNA database matching systems,” Ms Spence said.
“We were the first state to integrate into the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database and we did this in September 2003.
“Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and most recently the Commonwealth, have since followed.
“Last year, our DNA legislation was recognised at the Australasian Police Ministerial Council meeting as the preferred model for inter-jurisdictional matching on the national database.
“Our model is now being adopted by the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions such as South Australian and Tasmania.
“This will do away with differences in state legislation which, in the past, have impeded the sharing of DNA profiles.”
Ms Spence said the new arrangement would help police to solve more crimes.
“Criminals have no regard for state boundaries, so by putting these matching arrangements in place it gives police a better chance to crack unsolved crimes, or offences previously thought to have been unrelated, through DNA evidence,” Ms Spence said.
“This is a significant development and builds on the existing DNA matching arrangements that Queensland already has in place with the Commonwealth, Northern Territory and Western Australia.”
Ms Spence said Queensland has a good story to tell in terms of solving crimes using DNA.
“We currently have more than 86,000 person samples and 10,000 crime scene samples uploaded to the national DNA database,” Ms Spence said.
“To date, interstate people have been linked to 109 Queensland crime scenes - from break and enter to serious sexual offences and robberies - through this database.
“In an era where there is greater mobility and where crime often crosses jurisdictional boundaries, it is important that there is a national approach to many policing issues.“
Media contact – Nicola Hazell 3239 6218 / 0408 732 491
Ms Spence said she has endorsed an arrangement for other Australian jurisdictions to adopt Queensland’s DNA profile matching table, streamlining the sharing of DNA profiles interstate.
“Queensland is leading the country in its DNA database matching systems,” Ms Spence said.
“We were the first state to integrate into the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database and we did this in September 2003.
“Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and most recently the Commonwealth, have since followed.
“Last year, our DNA legislation was recognised at the Australasian Police Ministerial Council meeting as the preferred model for inter-jurisdictional matching on the national database.
“Our model is now being adopted by the Commonwealth and other jurisdictions such as South Australian and Tasmania.
“This will do away with differences in state legislation which, in the past, have impeded the sharing of DNA profiles.”
Ms Spence said the new arrangement would help police to solve more crimes.
“Criminals have no regard for state boundaries, so by putting these matching arrangements in place it gives police a better chance to crack unsolved crimes, or offences previously thought to have been unrelated, through DNA evidence,” Ms Spence said.
“This is a significant development and builds on the existing DNA matching arrangements that Queensland already has in place with the Commonwealth, Northern Territory and Western Australia.”
Ms Spence said Queensland has a good story to tell in terms of solving crimes using DNA.
“We currently have more than 86,000 person samples and 10,000 crime scene samples uploaded to the national DNA database,” Ms Spence said.
“To date, interstate people have been linked to 109 Queensland crime scenes - from break and enter to serious sexual offences and robberies - through this database.
“In an era where there is greater mobility and where crime often crosses jurisdictional boundaries, it is important that there is a national approach to many policing issues.“
Media contact – Nicola Hazell 3239 6218 / 0408 732 491