Over 250,000 Welsh profiles added to DNA database since 2000

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 6th Aug 2009

Research by the Welsh Liberal Democrats has discovered that over 250,000 profiles have been uploaded to the DNA database by Welsh police forces in Wales since 2000. This includes over 58,000 under 18s and over 33,000 under 16s.

The figures from the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) show that large numbers of profiles have been uploaded by each of the four Welsh police forces. They include those who have voluntarily given their information for elimination purposes, as well as those arrested for a 'recordable offence'. The NPIA were unable to confirm how many individuals this represents, as some individuals may be replicated, for example if a person gives a different name in subsequent arrests.

At present, the database contains the details of many people who have never been charged or convicted of an offence. The UK government is currently consulting on new proposals for the DNA database, which will still see the DNA of people who have not been found guilty of any crime being stored for 6-12 years depending on the offence they were arrested for.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Peter Black said:

"I cannot see how the Government can justify storing this information for almost one in ten of the population of Wales. Many people whose information has been stored were never even charged, let alone convicted of a crime."

"What is more concerning is how many young adults and children on the database. I am pleased to see that the government is proposing to delete many of them, but they should never have been uploaded in the first place."

"The police should be tasked with protecting the public, not to conduct information gathering exercises on them. While DNA can help in solving crime, the approach cannot include treating innocent people as criminals 'just in case' they commit a crime in later life."

Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Social Justice, Eleanor Burnham said:

"The proposals by the UK Government to delete innocent people's DNA after 6-12 years do not go far enough. If you are not convicted, you should not be put on a database unless you are actually charged with a violent offence, and even then only for a limited time."

"I am particularly worried about the idea that if you are cautioned then you will be on the database for the rest of your life. Cautions are normally only given for minor offences and only stay on your criminal record for a limited time, so why should someone's DNA be kept any longer?"

"If the government was serious about tackling crime they would put more police on the street and support victims of crime to improve conviction rates. Policing by database will never work, whether it be through DNA or ID Cards."