NPIA defends expansion of the National DNA Database despite criticism

The chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), Peter Neyroud, has defended the increase in the number of DNA profiles held on the National DNA Database (NDNAD), saying that it remains the most effective tool for the detection and prevention of crime.
The 2008/09 NDNAD statistics, released last week, reveal that as of March 2009 there were an estimated 4,859,934 individuals whose DNA profile were held on the database, an 11 per cent increase on 2008.
Four out of five profiles were from men and the majority, 74.8 per cent, were white North Europeans. Just over seven per cent were black and 5.2 per cent were Asian.
The age group most frequently appearing on the database are those between 25 and 34 years old, 23.1 per cent, followed by the 18 to 20 and 21 to 24 age groups, who make up 13.2 per cent and 12.9 per cent of the profiles respectively.
Volunteer samples made up 36,093 of the subject profiles and 350,033 were crime scene profiles.
During 2008/09, almost 60 per cent of crime scene profiles loaded to the NDNAD were matched to a subject profile, compared to just over 56 per cent in 2007/08
The NPIA took over custodianship of the NDNAD in 2007. Mr Neyroud said: “The NDNAD continues to provide the police with the most effective tool for the prevention and detection of crime since the development of fingerprint analysis over 100 years ago.”
By the end of 2009 the NDNAD, along with associated staff and services, is expected to be fully transferred from the Forensic Science Service to an NPIA secure environment as part of the NPIA Forensics 21 programme, approved in March 2008.
The Conservative Party has raised concerns that despite costs having doubled in the last year, the number of detections linked to DNA have fallen by a fifth.
Shadow Home Office Minister, James Brokenshire, said: “The Government has been obsessed with growing the DNA database for the sake of it regardless of guilt or innocence. Yet despite the huge increase in the genetic profiles retained the number of crimes solved by DNA matches has fallen and the costs have risen. Nearly a million people remain on the DNA database who have never been convicted of an offence. The Government has been long on promises and short on any action to deal with this pressing issue.”
Alan Campbell, Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Home Office, said: “The Government accepts the need for ongoing accountability to the public on the operation of the NDNAD. The NDNAD annual report, which publishes details of its activities, is an important part of the aim to increase transparency and maintain and improve public confidence in the oversight, management and operations of the NDNAD.”