The Alberta Federation of Police Associations recently went before federal MPs to request changes to its DNA collection procedures, among others, reports Metro News. The group is pushing to change the point of DNA collection to the time of arrest as opposed to the time of conviction and expand the offenses for which DNA collection is allowed to any indictable offense, the report states. According to the federation’s director, this will allow for faster solving of other cases and reduce the red tape surrounding getting a warrant for DNA collection. One Calgary defense lawyer has raised concerns about the practice, noting, “We have a constitutional presumption of innocence in this country.”
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