No, We Are Not Being Paranoid

The state senate didn't do much of anything this past session, but one of their last-minute deals—reported with a very light touch last week—may have enormous implications.

Before taking a much-deserved break, Governor Pataki and the state legislature agreed to add 100 new crimes to the ever-expanding list of those already requiring a DNA sample from the perp. Since it was created in 2000, the state's DNA Databank has reportedly gathered a sampling from more than 118,000 convicted felons. It's about to get a lot more.

Good news, right? Better than fingerprints? Easier way to track criminals down and connect them to other crimes? Plus, great way for the wrongly convicted to exonerate themselves, right?

Sometimes. But here's the catch: Those 100 new crimes on the list aren't just felonies—now they're including misdemeanors. Before long, you may well be required to provide a DNA sample to police after receiving a parking ticket. And mark our word: It won't be long before it changes from a "criminal DNA databank" to a "citizen DNA databank."

When the federal government began talking about a "Total Information Awareness" databank, the citizenry spoke up loud and clear. The plan was derailed (or maybe just renamed and hidden behind a curtain embroidered with "Homeland Security," but still—there was public outrage). The new DNA requirement doesn't seem to bother anyone at all. Given the amount of personal information Albany already has at its disposal—health and financial records among other things—it's just a few short steps before they piece together a TIA system of their very own.

Call us old-fashioned, but the idea gives us the willies.