DNA database postcode lottery

31/12/2009

DNA database postcode lottery

As reported by the BBC and Times this morning, the Conservatives have revealed the full extent of the "shambles" that is the police approach to removing innocent people from the the DNA database.

According to the reports:

Some police forces refuse to remove any records once a case is closed and the person declared innocent, while others comply with 80 per cent of requests for deletion.

The figures show South Yorkshire Police are most likely to delete DNA, with 83 per cent of requests granted, followed by Cumbria with 78 per cent and Cleveland with 70 per cent.

Other forces including Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire refused to remove any profiles.

Big Brother Watch opposes the retention of the DNA of innocent people as a matter of principle, but these figures just further shame the government's approach to the DNA database.

By Dylan Sharpe

31 Dec 2009 09:15:05 | DNA database

3 Comments

You can sign Damian Green's petition to stop the holding of innocent people's DNA here http://tinyurl.com/ykcbo9t.

Posted by: Brittany | 31/12/2009 at 11:56 AM

You can sign Damian Green's petition to stop the holding of innocent people's DNA here http://www.myconservatives.com/petitions/stop-holding-innocent-peoples-dna

Posted by: Brittany | 31/12/2009 at 11:58 AM

I would like to say that the way the police are behaving over DNA fingerprint and dont forget PNC record retention is a national discrace it is causing anormous damage to the relationship between the police and the public which might never be repaired, I myself have felt what it is like to live under a police state a false accusation was made against me the police came to my home in the late evening I had no choice but to let them search my home if I had refused they would have arrested me and probably my elderly parents wife and children, I could not alow them to suffer the indinity and abuse of being taken to the police station and DNA swabbed when we all had done nothing wrong, we effectivly have no right any more in this once free-est country in the world.

Posted by: outraged | 01/01/2010 at 06:03 PM

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