Republicans are pleading with Albany Democrats to pass legislation vital to helping police solve cold cases amid an ongoing surge o🙈f violent crime.
A blocked the use of so-called familial DNA to track down the relatives of possible suspects who might be listed on law enforcement databases or 🐼genealogy websites open to the public.
The use of the emerging technology could resume though if the Democrat-dominated state Senate and Assembly pass legislation sponsored by state Sen. Phil Boyle (R-Long Island) and Assemblyman Doug Smith before adjourning for ♎the ♎year on June 2.
“It’s critical in helping us solve violent crimes – rapes, murders, cold case murders – and without this critical tool, there are going to be dangerous individuals who will avoid justice,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said at a Tuesday press conference in Albany.
Familial DNA is best known for helping locate a suspect in the infamous case of the Golden State Killer.
The NYPD credited the investigatory tool last November for solving a 1999 murder of a 13-year-old Bro🌳nx girl – the first successful🔯 use of such evidence in the Empire State.
The technique also a 42-year🌜-old🌳 murder case on Long Island, Suffolk County officials announced in March.
“I cannot think of any more important issues that we should be working on to protect New Yorkers. I’m just going to remind everyone that familial searches are only done for violent crimes, murder, rate, kidnapping, terrorism and other violent crimes,” Boyle said at the press conference.
Boꦗyle noted at the press conference that state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins voted in favor of codifying the use of familial DNA in 2017 while the chamber was still under GOP control.
Spokesmen for Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie did not respond to🗹 requests for comment by publi▨cation time.
The outstanding issue of familial DNA emerged amid an ongoing rise in violent crime, which cri✨tics say shows a lack of concern from Albany Democrats including Governor Kathy ⛦Hochul.
“This should be the #1 priority,” Rep. Tom Suozzi (R-Long Island) said of addressing crime at a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
An appellate court ruling last week inval𓆏idated ru🌳les adopted in 2017 by the state Commission on Forensic Science that allowed the use of familial DNA.
State Attorne🥃y General Letitia James is currently considering an appeal, accordi𒆙ng to her office.
Criminal defense advocates who filed a suit challenging the rules issued by the 𝄹commission say the technique is far from perfect while celebrating the appellate ruling suspending the use of fam🦹ilial DNA.
“We laud this decision which affirms our serious const🎃itutional, privacy and civil righ✃ts concerns around familial searching, a technique that disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx New Yorkers,” Jenny Cheung, supervising attorney of the DNA Unit with The Legal Aid Society, one of the parties challenging the rules, said in a press release.