Colorado Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, deserves recognition for bringing back legislation from a couple of years ago that would require collection of DNA after certain misdemeanor convictions.
Already, DNA is collected when people are arrested in Colorado for felony charges or six specific misdemeanor charges, mostly involving sex crimes.
Pabon’s House Bill 1312 would add 13 serious misdemeanor charges, but would require convictions before DNA screening.
These would be serious crimes against people, Pabon said, including third-degree assault, menacing and child abuse.
The bill is much better than similar legislation Pabon pushed in 2013, which was killed on the last day of the session.
That bill was well-intentioned but problematic because it was too broad, requiring DNA testing for all misdemeanor convictions.
Critics argued people who committed low-level crimes that weren’t predictive of future criminal behavior would have their DNA screened. Someone, say, who illegally filmed a movie would have had their DNA run through the database.
Thankfully, Pabon has a scaled-back version up for consideration this year. If passed, it is certain the legislation would result in the arrest of more rapists, burglars and murderers.
Statistics show DNA screening works. Since 2007, Colorado has tested all people convicted of felonies and those convicted of misdemeanor sex crimes.
In 2009, lawmakers added testing of anyone arrested on felony charges. Since that law went into effect in October 2010, there have been 465 DNA hits on samples taken after an arrest in Denver alone. That includes 67 matches on sexual assault cases and 20 on homicides, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
Broadening the testing net to include people convicted of several more high-level misdemeanor offenses makes perfect sense and will result in a safer Colorado.
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