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[ About the Section | Responsibilities | Key Personnel |
Key Instruments
| Targets and Key Indicators ]
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DNA Database Section
About the
Section
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An Amendment Bill to three of the security-related
ordinances, namely the Dangerous Drugs, Independent Commission
Against Corruption and Police Force (Amendment) Bill 2000
was introduced to the Legislative Council in the beginning
of the year 2000. After some twenty meetings in which members
of the Council deliberated in detail its contents, the Bill
was finally passed as Ordinance in June 2000. In the Dangerous
Drugs, Independent Commission Against Corruption and Police
Force (Amendment) Ordinance 2000, provisions were made for
the setting up and maintaining by the Government Laboratory,
on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, a database storing
DNA information of persons convicted of a serious arrestable
offence.
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Responsibilities
The DNA Database Section was set up subsequently
in October 2000 in the Government Laboratory. Its main responsibilities
are to perform DNA analysis on samples from persons convicted of
a serious arrestable offence, those suspected of having committed
a criminal offence and volunteers, set up in computerized form a DNA database and
administer and maintain that database.
A DNA database on convicted persons is only useful
for crime investigation if the information could be compared against
DNA information of unsolved cases. Whilst DNA information of unsolved
cases will be generated by the Biochemical Sciences Sections, both
the DNA Database Section and the Biochemical Sciences Sections will
have to use the same techniques for information to be compatible
and comparable.
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In order that the DNA database can be administered
easily and effectively, the requirements on computing facilities,
especially on the software, are very specific.
Another significant area of responsibility
of the DNA Database Section is the liaison with other law
enforcement agencies and the Security Bureau to assist in
the smooth and successful implementation of the Ordinance.
Working groups have been set up with representatives from
the Police, the ICAC and the laboratory to address issues
related to Computing & Statistics, Equipment & Tools,
Training & Monitoring and Internal Guidelines. The progress
of these working groups is in turn monitored by the Implementation
Team and the Steering Group, each composing representatives
from the departments as well as the Security Bureau. Implementation
of the Ordinance had already started on 1st July
2001. |
Key Personnel
The contact numbers for the professional officers of the section are listed below:
Key Instruments
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The following instruments are used routinely by the Section:
- Liquid handling robotic system
- Genetic analyzer
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Liquid handling robotic system
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Targets
and Key Indicators
Key Performance Measures Relating to the Forensic Science
Services
Targets
Targets are defined as the number of working days required to complete 80% of cases
| Category |
Targets Working Days Per Case |
2006
(Actual) |
2007
(Actual) |
2008
(Plan) |
| DNA database (DNA profiling) |
22 |
21 |
21 |
22 |
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Key Indicators
Key indicators are the number of cases completed
| Number of Cases Investigated |
2006
(Actual) |
2007
(Actual) |
2008
(Estimate) |
| DNA database |
4,298 |
4,833 |
5,000 |
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