Here is an interesting case that Mr Stuart Cundy has not publicised. Arresting an innocent for the murder of Bowman when he already had that person DNA: http://gizmonaut.net/images/kr_dna.jpg

I was unconvicted at the time of my arrest for murdering Sally Bowman but police had retained on file my DNA from an earlier arrest (drunk and disorderly). They also had my fingerprints showing up on the Livescan system, which links, to earlier arrest records. Despite this they kept me in custody for this awful crime for almost 36 hours and didn’t even bother to check! 

Some more details of my case including my DNA and fingerprint records can be found here:
http://gizmonaut.net/blog/uk/dna_retention_of_unconvicted_people.html

Also a recent blog by my local MP Lynne Featherstone 
http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2008/04/its-not-only-guilty-who-get-arrested.htm

Thanks all for taking the time to read

K Reynolds


Well with cameras everywhere, a tracable mobile phone in everyones pocket this is really the next step.

"You or a blood relative stay in a hotel that in some near term date has a drug deal, murder or rape, take place."

Does the Inq recruit paranoid schizophrenics?
Or, are they just naturally drawn to the subject matter? 

Although leaving your DNA in a hotel room a few days before a murder happens in that same hotel room happens quite often (?) - I think that the authorities would put some weight on the fact that DNA taken from a hotel room is FROM A HOTEL ROOM!

geesh.

Please go back to staring out your window and counting the number of times your neighbors come in and out of their homes. You are doing very important work there.

Quote from curious: "Why the fuss over DNA records for children."

I'll tell you why- It has all the marks of putting the innocent on the stand.

The "for instance" scenerios are numerous and are total forks from 1984:

You or a blood relative stay in a hotel that in some near term date has a drug deal, murder or rape, take place.

The authorites do a sweep for DNA evidence and do a trace against their database.

Suddenly you are (knowingly or not) part of an investigation you have had nothing to do with having to explain the existence of trace evidence belonging to you being at the scene of a crime.
---
As someone who would be innocent-
How exactly would you feel to have to do that explaining?

If the police car parked in your driveway, or the authorities came to your workplace, how would you like to explain that to friends and family? 

Simply put you'd most likely be embarrased...and all because your DNA or that of a close relative matched a sample taken when you or they were a minor.

And now you're part of that new criminal record as well - cleared or not!

That is a very good point.

Kids obviously inherit DNA from their parents. So does any know whether, if your Kid's DNA is on record, are you effectively on the record too? At least in the sense that they could narrowing down a list of suspects to the point they could demand DNA samples directly?

I think people are missing the point...after all attempts to create a national ID database failed...what's happening? a national ID database!

I mean, people *might* commit crimes, wouldn't it be better for the police to have their DNA data BEFORE they commit it?
The government seems to think this is in order.

This is for our protection, to protect us, from ourselves. After all there are many good reasons to keep a DNA database, for medical reasons, law enforcement, keeping tabs on criminals...

When a company makes a good product, that does not sell very well, it sometimes simply re-labels it. more often than not, sales increase.

So it's not a nation wide biometric ID card, it's a DNA database to protect us.

*blinks*

P.S.

It is my humble belief that an ID scheme would prove to have more positives than negatives, but that remains to be seen.

1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual.

Jenny Willcott, the Justice spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats, who asked for the data, said it represented nothing less than the "mass criminalisation of our children".

Works for me, today's kids are a massive bunch of criminals. 

It's not like anyone who gets convicted these days get any kind of serious punishment. Just an ASBO, and maybe 3 months in a government run hotel with Sky in your cell.

Why the fuss over DNA records for children.
It makes good sense on many different levels, least of which being worried about catching potential criminals in the future.

The police are doing your children a service. Having a DNA record is a much better way to keep track of people than an arbitrarily assigned government number. Regardless, one way or another the government should keep track of it's people.

I think identification by DNA is a fine way to proceed, especially if you've got nothing to hide.

All the fuss and muss for nothing, some people just love to be in a constant state of indignance.

They used to take your fingerprints, you know?

Now it is DNA and I ask you...

SO WHAT?

Having recently been arrested myself for alleged computer crime - disproven I might add. I was advised by my legal team that you actually have to be charged for the police to take a DNA sample. Despite the police trying their very best to convince me otherwise. Needlessly to say they didn't get my DNA as I wasn't charged, and they didn't fancy the scrap that I promised would ensue if they tried.

I am surprised the police have got time to chase criminals of any age, what with all the doughnut eating and the rounding up of thousands of motorists for doing 33.5 mph in a 30 limit. That latter is, after all, full time job worthy of all our police resources, well that's what Gordan keeps saying so it must be true right....oh yes he's the one that can't drive...so maybe not then...better just add some more tax to petrol...and hope no one notices.

Why else have a DNA database?

It makes me physically ill to hear such, and I'm not even british.

oh god, I wondered how long before some screeming liberal started quoting 1984. The DNA database helps capture criminals, enough said. Everyone should be put on it then no one could bleat on about discrimination.