Crimes often go unsolved because of lack of evidence or the inability to prove that a particular person was at the scene of the crime. But technology is changing the way law enforcement solves crimes. Now genetics can help in solving crimes, even cold cases. While DNA can be traced through a number of online sources, it is also controversial because of privacy laws.

Using genetics to solve crimes stirs up controversy For example, there is no proof that someone’s genetic makeup would make them more likely to commit a serious crime. According to The Personal Genetic Education Project (pgED,) “there is no genetic variant that has been perfectly correlated with aggressive behavior.” The is controversial since “the possibility has been raised of using an individual’s genetic makeup to predict his or her likelihood of committing crime.”

Specific DNA, however, can help tie an individual to a crime scene. What can start off as a simple DNA search in an online database, can turn into concrete evidence to help law enforcement solve a case. DNA analysis is being used to solve cold cases as well. The process also elicits a controversial reaction because it infringes on privacy laws.

Commercial DNA testing sites are also being used in criminal cases. These are websites that allow people to voluntarily send in DNA samples in exchange for information about their genetics and family tree. In some cases, their DNA can help identify a relative linked to a particular crime scene. But is this an invasion of privacy?

According to Science News, there are people who disagree with using DNA searches because it violates privacy laws. While using familial searches to help solve cases is controversial, it is only used to help solve horrendous crimes. Rapes, murders and kidnapping are being solved using this technology.

After decades of unanswered questions and insufficient evidence to convict, cold cases are now being reopened with new leads, and sometimes being solved, with the help of new technology. Running DNA evidence through a growing federal database, law enforcement is able to link a person to the scene of the crime.

Genetics and DNA testing provide new hope to families who are seeking justice and closure in murder and kidnapping cases.

Personal Genetic Education Project

Science News

During the Click It or Ticket enforcement, from May 21 through June 3, The Michigan State Police made 14,384 traffic stops and gave out 4,364 tickets to people who were not wearing their seat belts. Research shows that seat belts are the most effective technology that we have to date for staying protected on the roads. The enforcement brings awareness to the issue and increases the number of lives saved.

15 people lost their lives in car crashes over Memorial Day weekend alone. Of those, at least one person was not wearing a seat belt.

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belt use in Michigan was at 94.5% in 2106, which was above the national average of 90.1 percent. While seat belt use is up, there are still millions of people taking a risk and endangering their lives by not buckling up.

The Click It or Ticket program began in 1993 and was launched by North Carolina’s Governor Jim Hunt. This was the first time officers were able to pull over individuals and issue citations if they were not wearing seat belts, even if no other offenses were observed. In 1988, New York was the first state to make seat belt mandatory and that has spread state-wide ever since.

The fact is that wearing a seat belt properly can prevent a person from being thrown from the car upon impact. It also reduces the force, reducing the risk of death by 50%, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a time when distracted driving and cell phone use while driving pose a serious threat, it is more important than ever to be diligent about wearing a seat belt.

The Click It or Ticket enforcement is a reminder to drivers to always buckle up, no matter how short of a distance you are traveling. Stated where seat belt use is enforced equates to a higher percentage of use and more lives saved. Michigan’s recent seat belt enforcement was successful and is spreading awareness and keeping drivers safe.

All dogs are not created equal. Some make great family pets. Others struggle to fit in and wind up at the shelter. But that doesn’t always its mean the end of the road for these canines. With the right training, many of these shelter dogs can be save and, in turn, save lives.

While K9 units typically use either German shepherds of Belgian Malinois for police dogs, there are plenty of other breed that work well on the job. Labrador retrievers, beagles, bloodhounds, pit bulls, and even mixed breed have keen senses and make good police dogs. The key characteristics needed are obedience, focus, and high energy. Also, having a keen sense of smell and sight help their ability to track down missing objects.

A 6-8 week training program is the starting point for many shelter dogs. They may, however, require up to a full year of training before they are ready to be paired with an officer. Dogs that are often overlooked ad family pets may have a dark fate if not for this training program. Now they get a second change at life and have an important purpose.

In some cases, they get a sixth chance at life. This was the case with one shelter dog who was returned to the shelter five times and deemed unadoptable before joining the K9 Police Unit in Rhode Island. Ruby was an eight-month old border collie/Australian shepherd mix with too much untamed energy. One officer saw how he could utilize her high energy level. After six months of training, she was able to handle scent work.

In 2017, Ruby helped track and save a missing teenager who needed medical attention. She became a police hero that day, but her work didn’t end there. She continues to work with the police department and there is a movie about her heroism, titled “Searchdog.”

Other heroic police dog stories include dogs performing CPR, dogs leading children back to safety, detecting explosives, finding flood victims, and the list goes on. The possibilities are endless and there are grants to provide training to the shelter dogs who show promise.

The KP dog training programs save the lives of shelter dogs, who in turn save the lives of people whiel in the line of duty. The bonus is that it saves the police department money in the process. Specialty bred K9 dogs can run as high as $25,000. But a shelter dogs costs around $200 and can be ready for the job after roughly a year of training.

Funding has finally been received to erect the monument for fallen Michigan officers. The Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument (MLEOM) is set to go up in Lansing, MI as a way to remember the officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Purpose for the Michigan Fallen Officers Monument

Every day officers put their lives on the line by serving their communities. They are heroes dedicated to public safety. This monument would serve as a way to remember, honor, and celebrate the lives of the officers who died while protecting Michigan’s citizens.

The Design of the Lansing Monument for Fallen Michigan Officers

A commission was formed for the MLEOM to oversee funding, the design of the monument, and its construction. The commission is made up of four family members of fallen officers, a police chaplain, an Attorney General representative and a State Treasurer representative.

Designed by Ann Arbor architect David Miling, the monument will consist of 10 4X8 panels, or “sentinels,” featuring the engraved names of the more than 600 fallen officers. It will be lit up from the ground. Designed to promote the feeling of standing with the fallen officers, it will not overshadow the Veteran’s Memorial.

The site of the MLEOM was dedicated on October 18, 2006 by Governor Jennifer Granholm and Senator John Kerry. It will be built at the corner of Allegan Street and Butler Boulevard, just south of the Vietnam Memorial and close to the State Capital Building in Lansing,

Funding for The Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument

A fund to match donations up to $2 million dollars, The MLEOM was created by public Act 177 of 20024. Governor Rick Snyder signed law 2014 PA 252 in which the state offered a matching grant through October 2018, matching donations up to $2 million.

Michigan lawmakers have finally secured the rest of the funds needed to move ahead with this project. The idea has been in the making since 2004, but was put on the back burner due to the recession and other issues raising the funds. However, construction for the long-awaited $1.2 million memorial monument  project won’t likely start until the fall of 2019.