3.1 Million Britons Now In DNA Database

The thing I hate most of retaining a sample from everyone they arrest in England is that they get to keep it, even if your never charged.

Police in Britain hold vastly more DNA samples than any other country in the Western world, and many are from people who have never committed a crime.

More than three million samples have been added to the national DNA database - more than 5 per cent of the population. With new figures showing just 1 per cent of Americans have their genetic information on record, and an average of 0.3 per cent in other European Union countries, ministers were last night accused of attempting to build a national DNA database by stealth.
prisonplanet.com...

It also seems race is a factor in building the database.

Overall, 24 per cent of people on the database are non-white, even though the black and Asian population of the UK as a whole is less than 8 per cent. Some estimates have even suggested that that more than a one-third of young black men have had samples taken.
It has already emerged that the DNA profiles of about 24,000 children and young people aged 10 to 18 are stored on the database despite them never having been cautioned, charged or convicted of an offence.

I think it's frightening that even someone never found guilty of any crime is forced to have their DNA in the government's hands for life, and beyond.
I had heard that police are starting to cross reference family members and distant relatives in the data base to the point they can predict the last name of an unknown criminal if another family member has DNA on file. I'll look for a link on that, but as I recall, this cross referencing was on the male side of the family because the male traditionally passed down the family name. So even if your uncle is picked up for a bar fight, some of your markers are also on file.

I wonder when the hospitals will start turning over DNA of every baby born in the country. Maybe they should have the DNA of everyone on social services or requires medical assistance. :shk:

im actually in 2 minds about this subject.
A pro to it would be that if a serious crime is commited then they have samples in their database to quickly eliminate or find the accused.
a con would be for this to be used wrongly as we all suspect that it would.

Again im sortof on the bench on this one. I dont really see a huge problem with dna evidence being stored but i can see why so many people would be agains it

i'm on it, only arrested for being drunk (when at uni), no charge.

in a way it means there will never be a reason to be arrested, or questioned, for something i haven't done.

this really doesn't worry me at all.

It would be interesting to know the count for all the countries and see the percentages in relation to their populations. Is this just something that the UK is taking the lead on and everyone else is well on their way?

Originally posted by ronishia
im actually in 2 minds about this subject.
A pro to it would be that if a serious crime is commited then they have samples in their database to quickly eliminate or find the accused.
a con would be for this to be used wrongly as we all suspect that it would.

Again im sortof on the bench on this one. I dont really see a huge problem with dna evidence being stored but i can see why so many people would be agains it

Two things: DNA evidence can be forged just like anything else (we're leaving it everywhere, at all times remember) but people don't get it and will always consider this practically a 100% guilty verdict.

Manipulations could occur through compromising the database (don't rule that out, no system is secure, ever plus this is a consipracy site, know the next terror attack's date and time? why, you're a serial sex offender and DNA tests prove it ), through creative alteration, as demonstrated by bone marrow donation or through simple placement.



Then, don't forget DNA reveals more than your ID, people will draw conclusions from DNA, be they valid or not. we'll be at the receiving end with no chance of redemption. call it eugenics or creative revenue raising, i don't care, people use leser pretexts to discriminate against others.