2 million DNA-profiles in UK police database

By EDRi · July 2, 2003

On the 100th anniversary of George Orwell, a UK police database with
DNA-profiles of suspects reached the number of 2 million. According to an
article in the English daily The Guardian, Home Secretary (minister of
internal affairs) David Blunkett said the five-year-old database was well
on the way to its target of holding 3 million profiles of people charged
with offences by 2004. Mr. Blunkett also said the police force had 5.5
million sets of fingerprints.

Police powers to keep DNA samples have been strengthened considerably since
2001 when they were first allowed to keep the information indefinitely from
suspects who were not convicted. Severely criticised by civil rights
groups, the new Criminal Justice Bill now before Parliament extends this
rule to people who are arrested but never charged.

Police DNA log now has 2m profiles (The Guardian, 26.06.2003)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,985006,00.html

DNA database being built by stealth, say civil rights groups (The
Telegraph, 26.06.2003)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/26/ndna26.xml&sSheet=/portal/2003/06/26/ixportal.html