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UK DNA database consultation

The UK's Home Office has been running a consultation, entitled Keeping the right people on the DNA database.

I'm gravely sceptical about the entire episode and, throughout, the document tilts heavily towards keeping DNA for a long time because that will – supposedly – make us safer.

David Mery has had some choice words and a very thorough response to the Home Office's proposal. I am not so thorough, and kept my contribution to the section of which Ben Goldacre rightly asked 'Is this a joke?'.

The consultation closed yesterday, here is my contribution, written from the vantage point of my academic high horse.

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Police must not hide

The police have been misbehaving. I'm angry about that, and would like to do something practical.

I'm pleased that people aren't sticking to the supposed ban on photographing the police. The videos of Ian Tomlinson being attacked from behind minutes before his death and the seemingly brutish attack on a woman at the memorial protest the following day show that we really do need some daylight here.

Update at 05:31 EDT, 21^st April 2009 – Added notes on how to tag things.

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