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denny"Every single person in the UK should be compelled to have their DNA on the national database in an effort to prevent crime, a senior police officer has argued." - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3088920.stm
As part of his justification, the guy uses the fact that "estimates suggest" (gotta love those definite statements) "as many as 600 people in the UK have committed murder and escaped initial detection..."
(a) Note the lack of a time scale - is this since the police started keeping records a few centuries ago, or what?
(b) Notice the word 'initial' - he doesn't happen to volunteer any data about how many of those were subsequently caught (without the aid of a massively privacy invading DNA database), does he?!
Even if there were 600 murderers running around free because this database doesn't exist, I still think that would have a less detrimental effect on our social structure overall than this kind of database could and, inevitably, eventually, would.
And people wonder why I have no respect for the legal system and the police force any more.
As part of his justification, the guy uses the fact that "estimates suggest" (gotta love those definite statements) "as many as 600 people in the UK have committed murder and escaped initial detection..."
(a) Note the lack of a time scale - is this since the police started keeping records a few centuries ago, or what?
(b) Notice the word 'initial' - he doesn't happen to volunteer any data about how many of those were subsequently caught (without the aid of a massively privacy invading DNA database), does he?!
Even if there were 600 murderers running around free because this database doesn't exist, I still think that would have a less detrimental effect on our social structure overall than this kind of database could and, inevitably, eventually, would.
And people wonder why I have no respect for the legal system and the police force any more.
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-08 08:01 am (UTC)But those higher up the chain, at policy level, are making a concerted effort to move towards a police state, free from minor irritations such as privacy laws. It's a gradual process, but it does occur. What annoys me most is how it makes me sound like a loon with a tinfoil hat. Next I'll be ranting about 'The Man' and how we're all pawns.....
Anyway, I'm off to stock up the bunker.