Current Events: British Police Want DNA of Children
From The Guardian, and on Slashdot.
Police in the United Kingdom may soon be be able to collect DNA samples from children if they exhibit behaviors that suggest they may commit crimes later in life, at least if Scotland Yard forensics director Gary Pugh has his way.
Pugh cites the importance of identifying future offenders, saying that “the number of unsolved crimes says we are not sampling enough of the right people.” Advocates of such programs, including the Institute for Public Policy Research, claim that most career criminals begin their lives of crime as early as 10 to 13 years old, and suggest that children from 5 to 12 years old should be profiled and sampled if they exhibit certain “risk factors.”
Even these advocates acknowledge that such treatment could have a “stigmatising” effect, but they do not seem to have any problem with gross violations of privacy in the name of improving public safety. One concern that is not directly addressed in the article is the possibility that the negative attention such sampling and registration involves might even place more obstacles to a child’s chances of leading a normal life, perhaps even increasing the likelihood that they would turn to crime; a self-fulfilling prophecy, in other words.
Of course, an even greater issue that is sidestepped by the focus on children is the question of whether preemptive DNA sampling of any individual, adult or child, should be tolerated in any free society. Whether such programs are effective in reducing crime is not the only issue – the cost to individual liberty must also be considered. In my opinion, at least, personal freedom must always outweigh public safety, but I’m interested in hearing other ideas.
Comment by Chris John
March 21, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
Throwing stones in glass houses?
States Hand Over the DNA of Newborns to DHS
http://www.truthnews.us/?p=2084
Comment by Brendon
August 2, 2008 @ 6:42 am
How can a 5-12 year old show any “risk factors”? If a person at this age shows criminal behaviour, it maybe an indication to look the child’s upbringing. No child at this age has the maturity to make their own decisions, so recording their DNA because they might commit crime in the future is outrageous.
Comment by Heather
January 5, 2009 @ 9:44 am
We are doing this in United States as well. My 13 year old made a mistake and now they want him to give up his DNA. Ridiculous. Government cannot even protect my ssn now they want me to trust them to protect my childs DNA?