The state will soon be able to use DNA not only to convict criminals, but to help track them. This step in the use of DNA evidence is a positive tool for law enforcement.

Convicted felons in Michigan will be required to submit DNA samples for police records as part of a bill Gov. John Engler is expected to sign this week.

About 30,000 samples are expected to be taken each year, starting in October.

The records will be used for investigation purposes. The new law will also require samples from a variety of misdemeanor offenders and includes all felonies, including nonviolent crimes.

The DNA will be gathered in a somewhat nonintrusive manner - prisoners will be required to swab the inside of their cheeks with a sponge.

Opponents of DNA collection say taking genetic codes, which contain information about heredity, is a violation of privacy. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan is considering pursuing legal action.

Taking DNA samples will help police get felons off the streets, much like fingerprints. It will provide evidence to police in situations where fingerprints are not available.

Police now have a new tactic to catch murderers and rapists, and we can all benefit from that. New technology that puts felons in jail is a service to everyone.

DNA evidence can often be used to definitively prove a suspect guilty or innocent. This new initiative to collect DNA will give courts more evidence to work with.

Not only do the genetic codes assist in convicting criminals, it will also reduce the likelihood that innocents will be falsely convicted.

Police say more DNA evidence will also lead to shorter trials, thereby saving money.

DNA evidence is a great tool for tracking felons, but that’s all it should be used for.

With so much genetic information in police records, it would be tempting to use the data for scientific research.

It’s possible the information could lead to useful results, but it would be an invasion of privacy. It’s true criminals lose many rights the rest of us enjoy, but even after they leave prison their records remain on file.

This could be avoided by requesting permission to use genetic information, avoiding any invasion of privacy.

The information contained in a strand of DNA hardly defines a person - it doesn’t extend beyond physical description. Most people would be more inclined to admit they are prone to baldness than that they have a sordid past.

Hereditary information is still private, though. Taking DNA from convicts shouldn’t steamroll into a genetic study of what makes good people go bad, or whether violent tendencies run in the family.

As long as the DNA samples stay in police records and are used strictly for law enforcement purposes, the benefits far outweigh the risks.