Misterimpatient

Our friends in the UK appear to be building a national database with the DNA records of every criminal suspect that crosses their threshold. Being found not guilty is not an excuse. If you get arrested, you get cataloged. There is something wrong with this in my mind. What is to stop the police from finding some reason to stop everyone, eventually, for purposed of DNA collection? Morals? Good intentions? I think not.

But wait! No need to worry. The UK Home Minister says there is nothing to worry about.

Me thinks I don’t want to be arrested in the UK, not that this is a change of my thinking you understand, it just seems a little more important now.

What do we do in the USA I wonder? According to Privacy International:

In conjunction with internal State developments in the 1990s, a national DNA database was being established by the FBI. Statutory authority to create this national database was provided by the federal DNA Act, contained within the Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act 1994 and led to the creation of the National DNA Index System (NDIS). This contains samples from convicted offenders, crime scenes, unidentified human remains and victims of crime. The DNA records contained in the NDIS are purportedly protected from unauthorised access.

So it seems the data is more limited. You have to be convicted of a crime to be held on file. I wonder if victim DNA is disposed of after conviction and appeals are exhausted?

So my plan for today:

1. Commit no crimes.
2. Don’t be a victim.

Good plan.

Later…

Filed by misterimpatient at 3:55 pm under Justice, sometimes