Change to DNA law will restore public trust

DETECTIVE Chief Superintendent Steve Talbot is incorrect to claim that keeping DNA records from innocent people has helped to solve more crimes. Home Office figures clearly show that this is not the case (Yorkshire Post, June 28).

The proposed new law on DNA will take people’s records off the DNA database only after they have been checked for matches against all stored crime scene DNA.

The police will be able to keep DNA records from people accused but not convicted of serious offences for three to five years, so the chance of missing any crimes that would otherwise be solved is negligible.

It is a common misconception that murderers and rapists are caught through unexpected matches between DNA found at a crime scene and their DNA records stored on a database. This situation is very rare: most murderers and rapists are known to their victims and are identified as suspects before their DNA is taken. Others are picked up later and matched to the stored crime scene DNA. The rest are repeat offenders, whose DNA records will continue to be kept.

Instead of scaremongering about the new Freedoms Bill, the police should welcome it as an important step towards restoring public trust in police use of DNA.