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Washington State Wants DNA From All Arrestees
An anonymous reader writes in to say that "Suspects arrested in cases as minor as shoplifting would have to give a DNA sample before they are even charged with a crime if a controversial proposal is approved by the Legislature. "It is good technology. It solves crimes," claims Don Pierce, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Under the bill, authorities would supposedly destroy samples and DNA profiles from people who weren't charged, were found not guilty or whose convictions were overturned. Others believe that this is just another step in the process to build a national DNA database with everyone in it."
"Under the bill, authorities would supposedly destroy samples and DNA profiles from people who weren't charged, were found not guilty or whose convictions were overturned."
This is not what happens in the UK.
So far it takes a lot of pressure to get entries deleted once you are on there, and you don't even need to be arrested to be on there.
The European Courts have said that this is not right and that they should remove entries that don't pertain to criminals, but I don't think there is any rush.
Too much "think of the children" and "think of the raped woman" going on for privacy and human rights to get a look in.
Even if they did, we all know these databases are hives of incorrect data anyway.
State hits crime lab on DNA cache, Some files improperly kept, IG says
The State Police crime laboratory is storing the DNA profiles of hundreds of people whose crimes do not warrant it, according to an investigation of the historically troubled lab, raising the specter of what one civil libertarian called a "shadow DNA database."
- SR