Don’t Let the Police Steal Your DNA
In our recent issue of The Upgrade on How to Protest, we learned a lot about what the police do and shouldn’t do when arrested. One of the most important things we’ve learned is that the police will most likely try to get a sample of your DNA, but you don’t have to – and shouldn’t – agree to this. You are not legally required to perform a cheek swab, despite what you may be told.
According to Marianne Kayshian, senior attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services , the police have several ways they can try to trick you into handing over a DNA sample:
DNA is an important item that the police will look for, but you are not required to provide it. They may try to present this as the most basic part of handling your arrest. You know, “Now we’re going to just rub your cheek. [T] This is what we’re doing, ”and then we move on to the next part, or“ we just rub your cheek and then you can go, ”or“ you just have to provide a sample. ” You don’t need to take your DNA to the police. And you don’t have to agree to have your DNA taken. That being said, as mentioned, the police have other ways of collecting your DNA, and we want you to know about this. These include offering people water, chewing gum, cigarettes, food, anything you could eat, but then leave some of it, you know, a plastic water bottle or cigarette butt that then contains your DNA. The police will collect this and store it … So it is very important to stay away from this database.
To learn more about your rights when filing a protest, watch the video below:
Kayshian went on to explain that NYPD already has an extensive DNA database in New York , which includes many profiles that should not be included at all, such as minors and people who have not been convicted of crimes, only interrogated or pondered. be “suspicious”. While she was unable to talk about the practices of other police departments, we know that Rapid DNA machines are already in use by police across the country , and there is a lot of controversy surrounding privacy concerns with police departments who have access to these vast DNA databases. (some even call it ” Genetic Stop and Agility “).
Simply put, if you are to be arrested at the upcoming Black Lives Matter protest, remember:
- Do not agree to donate a DNA smear, even if you are falsely told that it is “necessary”.
- Do not take water, chewing gum, snacks, or any other consumable that the police might later collect your DNA from.
For more important legal advice, we highly recommend watching the entire episode of the podcast: