Dec 042007
I always end up scrabbling around for actual numbers whenever talking about the National DNA Database so, in light of today’s news, I’m compiling a summary:
- Number of records: 4 million (Source; 05/09/07) or 3,785,571 at 31/03/06 (Source p29; 05/09/07)
- Percentage of population: 5-6%, higher than any other country (Derived from above; 05/09/07). The official figure is 5.2% (Source; 05/09/07)
- Percentage of US population on their DNA database: 0.5% (Source; 05/09/07)
- Age: 12 Years (Source; 05/09/07)
- Monthly growth: 30,000 (Source; 05/09/07)
- Number profiles of unconvicted 10-17 year olds: 24,000 (Source; 05/09/07)
- Official stance on children on the database: Under 18s make up 23% of all arrests, and so a comparative proportion of profiles is to be expected. There are no legal powers to take a DNA sample from anyone under ten without the consent of a parent or legal guardian. (Source; 05/09/07)
- Number of crimes solved per year using DNA database: 20,000 (Source; 05/09/07). The official figure is 45,000 crimes in 2005 & 2006 (Source; 05/09/07)
- DNA profiles deleted in 2005: 21,661 (Source; 20/06/07).
- DNA profiles deleted in 2006: 8,860 (Source; 20/06/07)
- Cost: £300 million over last five years (Source; 05/09/07)
- Gender split: 80.26% Men, 18.72% Women and 1.02% Unknown (Source p32; 05/09/07)
- Percentage of database by ethnicity (men): 76% White European, 9% Unknown (41% of which is collected in Scotland which does not track this data), 7% Afro-Caribbean, 5% Asian, 2% Dark-skinned European, 1% Arab (Source p34; 05/09/07)
- Percentage of population with a DNA record: 40% of Black population has DNA record, 13% of Asian population and 9% of White population, and (Source; 05/09/07)
- Number of replicated profiles: 646,890 or 16% (Source; 03/12/07)
I’m sure there’ll be more as I find them…
Updated 4/12/07: Replicated profiles
3 Responses to “DNA Database Facts”
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Bit of a shocking one that about the 72 year old guy in Wales who was proved innocent, asked for his DNA to be removed from the DB and was told No.
In Scotland it has to be removed automatically, but you can expect some ‘mistakes’ of that not happening ‘automatically’ in some cases. But to actually ask for it to be removed and told No- that must be in breach of some Civil Rights mustn’t it?
I see the Beeb has reported that at least one group of ‘experts’ is challenging the idea that people cannot have their data removed if they are innocent.
I think people should be allowed to remove their DNA if they have never been convicted of any crime or issued with an ASBO.
I realise that is far to liberal for me – so I’ll add the condition that people who have paid less in tax than they’ve claimed in benefits over their lives to date should not be able to remove their DNA until such time as they become a net contributor!