For or against the police keeping DNA records

[skadistic]

If there is a high chance of reoffending then why are they being released from prison?

Lenient judges and bleeding hearts.

 

[Virote_Considon]

Would you agree to having a government CCTV camera installed in your bedroom even if they promised not to watch the film? They would only ever consult it if there was a robbery in your house, or any other crime.

Sure. I'm not doing anything wrong. And I'm pretty sure most governments and a few major corporations are already watching over everyone in the "free" world- myself included.

If there is a high chance of reoffending then why are they being released from prison?

Because there is also a small chance that they actually have learned their lesson, and won't re-offend. Of course, I doubt prison really does anything to change most peoples behavior for the better.

Nope, I am against it. I'm against fingerprints being kept on file as well. Even for ex-cons. Once they have spent the time in prison that they were mandated to spend by the courts, they have officially paid their debt to society and don't deserve the stigma of it being kept on file "just in case."

Yeah, sucks for law enforcement. Tough ginger snaps, who said freedom was easy?

In what way does prison pay their debt to society? If anything, they're burning away a higher debt to society sitting there in prison with their free gyms and Playstations.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Sure. I'm not doing anything wrong. And I'm pretty sure most governments and a few major corporations are already watching over everyone in the "free" world- myself included.

They're watching you in your bedroom?

 

[LucyDuke]

I don't think I could feel more strongly against such a proposal. Does privacy mean nothing anymore?

Innocent tourists as well? If this goes through, I'll never get to visit Stonehenge. No way in hell am I going to cooperate.

You "I'm not doing anything wrong" people scare the crap out of me. Never, ever trust your government. Ever.

 

[Virote_Considon]

They're watching you in your bedroom?

Probably, using satellites, etc.

You "I'm not doing anything wrong" people scare the crap out of me. Never, ever trust your government. Ever.

So who do you suggest we trust?

 

[Masquerouge]

Given how often my private information is already violated by telemarketers and private companies, all I can say is that I couldn't care less if the government has my DNA on file, at least they're not gonna call me at 8:00AM on a Sunday morning.

And if having my DNA/fingerprints made available to the goverment somehow could mean I wouldn't have to prove my identity every time I deal with it, I'm all up for it.

 

[LucyDuke]

So who do you suggest we trust?

What an odd question. I'd suggest you trust any person that has earned your trust.

And if having my DNA/fingerprints made available to the goverment somehow could mean I wouldn't have to prove my identity every time I deal with it, I'm all up for it.

Not you too!

 

[Mise]

I'm caught in two minds about this. I can see the potential "slippery slope", but I would hope that we never go down that road.

If I could be guaranteed that the information would be used solely for solving crime (not even preventing it), then I'd voluntarily hand my saliva-stained swab over to the police.

However, I don't really trust the police to use the data responsibly. Unless there are safeguards in place (and I can't think of any adequate ones), I can't support this measure. Lets see how it pans out, though.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

Hell no!

My DNA is mine and if the police want it then they can get a warrant.

As opposed to getting a warrant, dragging you to the station and/or hospital and forcibly taking it from you? It also makes you look guilty if you say "shove it!" to a cop asking to compare your DNA to a suspects.

As opposed to comparing the suspects DNA to yours and eliminating you without ever even contacting you.

Sounds like it would save a huge hassle to me. Also, if you didn't do anything wrong, what do you have to fear?

Financially it could also save a ton of money in the long run. Not having to go through all the courtroom nonsense to get a simple DNA sample.

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I'm also interested as to why almost everybody thinks that police are corrupt and will do everything they can to screw you over. They're not the Gestapo or NKVD, people.

 

[Phlegmak]

I can't believe I just voted incorrectly. Anyway, I meant to choose this one:

I am not from the UK and would be for it if this was in my country

And I like Scotland's version better.

 

[Masquerouge]

Not you too!

I know

But I really don't see governments as evil, and so far the only ones who have screwed up with my personal, private information are private corporations.

 

[drachasor]

But it doesn't need to be on file - if you're accused of something, volunteer to submit for a DNA test, and you're at the same point as if it was on file in the first place.

It's not the same at all. With DNA records, they need a sample of the attacker's DNA, and then they can search the database and find who did it. They don't need to figure out suspects first or harass innocents, instead they go straight for the culprit.

And I think all that needs to bad done is make public record any matches that are found or other specific access to anyone's DNA. Searches would be done securely so that the searcher wouldn't have access to any samples or DNA information except for the DNA that matches.

Anyway, no surprise, I'm against innocent citizens having their DNA recorded by the government. It isn't so much because of the same sort of crimefighting as can be done with fingerprints, but because more can be done with DNA (or likely is in the immediate future), like major medical issue prediction.

Yes well, that's just from the stupidity of not having a national healthcare system. You think it is bad that people can know more about their health? Maybe you should be worried about a society that makes that a bad thing.

 

[Virote_Considon]

What an odd question. I'd suggest you trust any person that has earned your trust.

I don't see it as an odd question. You stated that no one should ever trust their government- an institution that has already been trusted with absolute power. So I asked which alternative do we have to trust?

 

[Masquerouge]

By the way, I was under the impression that our current technology does not allow us to tell if two DNA samples match, we can only use it to prove they do not match?

 

[drachasor]

By the way, I was under the impression that our current technology does not allow us to tell if two DNA samples match, we can only use it to prove they do not match?

You can tell if they match. It's not 100%, but it is like 99.9999999%.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

I know

But I really don't see governments as evil, and so far the only ones who have screwed up with my personal, private information are private corporations.

Despite most of it's faults and "faults", the government is quite good at keeping accurate records.

 

[IglooDame]

As opposed to getting a warrant, dragging you to the station and/or hospital and forcibly taking it from you? It also makes you look guilty if you say "shove it!" to a cop asking to compare your DNA to a suspects.

As opposed to comparing the suspects DNA to yours and eliminating you without ever even contacting you.

Sounds like it would save a huge hassle to me. Also, if you didn't do anything wrong, what do you have to fear?

Financially it could also save a ton of money in the long run. Not having to go through all the courtroom nonsense to get a simple DNA sample.

---------------------------------------------

I'm also interested as to why almost everybody thinks that police are corrupt and will do everything they can to screw you over. They're not the Gestapo or NKVD, people.

Does anyone know of a good website or FAQ that addresses this (bolded by me) question well? I'm tired of answering it retail, I'd rather do it wholesale.

Most police are not corrupt - a few are. And I doubt very many at all are just out to screw people over - but I'm certain there are plenty that tend to mentally decide whether someone is guilty or innocent soon after coming across them, and consciously or otherwise push things in one direction or the other. I worry about and want to protect myself against the worst of them, because the best of them already abide by the rules that protect me.

 

[Mise]

You can tell if they match. It's not 100%, but it is like 99.9999999%.

I guess since there aren't 100,000,000 people on the planet that number is effectively 100% ?

 

[IglooDame]

It's not the same at all. With DNA records, they need a sample of the attacker's DNA, and then they can search the database and find who did it. They don't need to figure out suspects first or harass innocents, instead they go straight for the culprit.

Rkade was referring to the situation where he's already a suspect, and thus so was I.

And I think all that needs to bad done is make public record any matches that are found or other specific access to anyone's DNA. Searches would be done securely so that the searcher wouldn't have access to any samples or DNA information except for the DNA that matches.

And we get back to the trust issue - once government has data, access to that data spreads like ripples in a pond.

Yes well, that's just from the stupidity of not having a national healthcare system. You think it is bad that people can know more about their health? Maybe you should be worried about a society that makes that a bad thing.

I don't think it's bad that individuals can know more about their own health, obviously. I think it's potentially bad that government has access to it.

 

[drachasor]

I guess since there aren't 100,000,000 people on the planet that number is effectively 100% ?

There are 100 million people on the planet (and I was just adding a bunch of 9's there). I believe that, if necessary, the testing can be improved to the desired accuracy (it is all about figuring out what particular bases a person has, and you can increase the accuracy by finding more bases).

With a national database, any such false positive would also match the real culprits DNA (so you'd get a list of suspects).