OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Law officers are asking the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation how to best collect genetic material from people convicted of certain misdemeanors and enter the information into a national database.
Oklahoma law, since 2009, has allowed police to take DNA samples from people convicted of serious misdemeanors, but the Oklahoman newspaper reported Monday that material has only been taken from a relative few.
A meeting has been set for Tuesday so police, sheriffs, district attorneys and judges can discuss how to address the shortcoming.
DNA sampling has been routine for felons but in 2009 legislators allowed testing for people convicted of 18 serious misdemeanors, including negligent homicide, resisting arrest, and breaking and entering.
Investigators say if more DNA is collected, more crimes can be solved.