The government's national DNA database has hit the headlines once again this morning with the news that despite more than a million new profiles being added in the past two years, the number of crimes being solved by DNA has fallen by a fifth.
Between 2004/5 and 2006/7, police forces across the UK recorded 81,457 detections compared with 64,949 over the following two years - a fall of 20%.
And yet, between 2007 and 2009, more than 1 million new profiles were added to the database. The presence of duplications means the total number of people with stored DNA records is likely to be about 5 million.
In addition, the cost of running the database has almost doubled to £4.3 million from £2.1 million in under a year.
This data comes as no surprise: criminals are getting wise to DNA technology – or more accurately, to ways around it. Burglars and thieves go prepared to do their work.
As a result of this, and of this government’s policy of taking and keeping DNA samples from anyone who comes into contact with the state, Britain is getting the worst of all worlds – fewer crimes solved by the database, but more innocent people on it.
We need to see a timetable for the removal of innocent people's DNA from the national database sooner rather than later.
By Dylan Sharpe
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