As modern forensics techniques get better and better, it allows detectives to solve crimes that were previously thought unsolvable. One of the key areas that has led to a rise in convictions for previously unsolved cases has been DNA analysis. DNA is generally used to solve crimes in two ways. Firstly, when a suspect has been identified, a sample of that person’s DNA can be compared to a sample taken from the crime scene. Secondly, in cases where a suspect has not been identified, evidence from the crime scene can be compared to profiles in DNA databases to attempt to find a match. DNA is thought to be more reliable than traditional forensic techniques such as fingerprints. DNA can also be used to clear suspects so the police can focus their enquiries. With the rise of people submitting the DNA online for genealogy tests and advances in storing and collecting samples, more and more DNA is being uploaded daily. Cases have been solved decades after the crimes were committed, and there are calls for many cold cases to be reanalysed using modern technology. One of the biggest problems with DNA today is the backlog of analysing DNA samples from crime scenes. Many crime scene samples, including from sexual assault and murder cases, wait unanalysed for a long time. This prevents the perpetrators from being identified earlier.
Explosives specialist police conduct their investigation after a bomb blast in the village of Sitra, south of Manama, Bahrain, July 28, 2015. The bomb attack killed two Bahraini policemen on duty in the mainly Shi'ite village of Sitra, south of the capital Manama, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday, days after the government said it had disrupted an arms smuggling plot linked to Iran. (REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed)
