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Dear Sir,
I refer to the article
"Nevis Police Official Reports Overall Decrease
in Crime; Appeals to Public for more Assistance"
by Patrice Pemberton, in your issue of February 26,
2010, in which Superintendent Samuel Seabrookes appeals
to the public for more assistance in relaying information
that could assist in solving crimes.
Please allow me also to add a suggestion to your government
for more assistance in this matter.
The Superintendent's report about crime during 2009
in Nevis is the best evidence for the excellent professional
work of the Nevis Division of the Royal St. Christopher
and Nevis Police Force. I wonder if any other Police
authority in the world is able to report such a positive
decrease across practically all types of criminal
offences besides house break-ins.
But it also shows a significant decrease of detected
cases and this is where only the Government of the
Federation can change a lot.
WITH PROVIDING INEXPENSIVE DNA TESTING.
And this is where only LEGISLATION can change the
present situation of paying the ridiculous amount
of US $ 10.000 to 15.000 (excluding travel expenses)
for one single case at a time when police authorities
in Europe pay no more than approx. US $ three to four
hundred for the same case.
Two years ago I arranged due to my contacts as former
Austrian Honorary Consul to the Federation a course
lasting several weeks in Forensics for two police
officers from St. Kitts at our Federal Police Department
in Vienna, Austria. During this period we were informed
that in accordance with your local legislation DNA
analyses must be presented in court by a representative
of the producing laboratory in order to be accepted
as official evidence.
As a rule this will be a scientist with high medical
education (in our country, from the Medical University
of Innsbruck), far too expensive to let him travel
around the world unless charging the customer for
his very valuable time.
We therefore strongly recommended to modernize the
legislation for this agenda and accept written DNA
analyses from the laboratories. DNA today is more
reliable than finger prints or blood tests and therefore
must enjoy better or at least the same acceptance
at any court.
DNA today is not any more only a case-related evidence
for the criminal offence just been committed but the
most important, most reliable and most necessary tool
in the daily profession of criminal investigation.
In most countries in the world DNA samples are taken
from all accused AT THEIR FIRST OFFENCE and stored
in computers. The detection of later offences of this
person will go up rap idly. And this is the real value
of DNA:
Get the habitual criminal quicker at one of his next
offences. Not to forget the side advantage by detecting
many old cases even after years.
Not offering this DNA tool as OFTEN AS NEEDED to the
Police Force in its fight against crime is like fighting
tanks with bow and arrows.
I would not have written this mail did I not love
your beautiful islands and the warm-hearted people
I had the pleasure of meeting in the 20 years in the
Federation.
Josef Baumgartner
Vienna, Austria
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