The Mission of Debbie & Rob Smith's H-E-A-R-T Foundation
is "to provide HOPE for victims of sexual assault through the
provision of essential and therapeutic support, by affecting
positive change in laws influencing their lives, and by
educating both the public and professionals commissioned to
serve victims." Through their own experience as victims of
violent crime they have become unwavering advocates for
the use of DNA analysis to solve crime. In doing so, they ...
... have met with crime laboratory staff, legislative facilitators,
the families of other victims of violent crime, and the general
public, delivering the message of how powerful DNA testing
can be for solving crime.
In October 2004, the U.S. Congress passed the Debbie
Smith Act (Justice For All Act 2004). This important piece of
legislation will help to fund the analysis of thousands of
forensic DNA cases. In the process, perpetrators will be
identified and cold-case crimes will be solved. This will act as
a crime prevention tool, as the faster a perpetrator is
removed from the streets of our neighborhoods, the fewer
potential additional crimes he/she can commit. Given that
sexual assault offenders repeat their crime 8-12 times and
burglary offenders an average of 15-30 times, the faster we
can find these criminals the fewer crimes they will commit.
Thus, countless potential victims will be spared the horrors of
experiencing the affects of violent crime.
Debbie & Rob Smith would love to visit your law office, crime
laboratory, or agency and tell their story. This can be
combined with technical lectures on the use of DNA analysis
in criminal investigations, satisfying continuing education
requirements and strengthening your associates'
understanding of this valuable technology. Simply contact us
for more information on how to arrange for these important
seminars.
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