August 7, 2008

Police want national DNA database

A national DNA database of every man, woman and child, would help solve more crimes, according to the Chief Constable of Strathclyde, Stephen House.

In Scotland, there is not a DNA database in Scotland as there is in the UK. The difference between to the two systems is that in England at the moment any DNA samples taken are kept on the database whether that person is eventually charged or not.

The English database already contains over four million profiles; the largest of any country in the world, however there are concerns about the legitimacy of keeping the profiles of people who have not been convicted.

A recent inquiry mentioned that around a million DNA profiles on the data should be destroyed because the profiles belong to people who have never been convicted of any crime.

Source [Telegraph]