Over the last three years, police have used this
investigative technique to look for a serial murderer in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana and a serial rapist in Omaha, Nebraska. According to local
news reports, the dragnet in Baton Rouge ensnared more than 1,000
people over the course of ten months, netted no viable suspects, and
gave way to a lawsuit accusing the police of violating the Fourth
Amendment rights of those sampled without written consent. The lawsuit
is also asking that police destroy or return the DNA samples of those
exonerated of any wrongdoing. In June, Omaha police launched a DNA
dragnet after the fourth in a series of what they believe are related
rapes dating back to September 2002. Based on witness descriptions of
the rapist, police asked more than 30 black employees at the Omaha
Public Power District to give DNA samples. Once again, the dragnet
produced no suspects, rattled many of the targeted employees, and has
those who refused to give samples but were forced under warrant to give
one anyway asking a judge to unseal the applications used to obtain
warrants for their DNA samples. [more 
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