On the 100th anniversary of George Orwell, a UK police database with DNA-profiles of suspects reached the number of 2 million. According to an article in the English daily The Guardian, Home Secretary (minister of internal affairs) David Blunkett said the five-year-old database was well on the way to its target of holding 3 million profiles of people charged with offences by 2004. Mr. Blunkett also said the police force had 5.5 million sets of fingerprints.

Police powers to keep DNA samples have been strengthened considerably since 2001 when they were first allowed to keep the information indefinitely from suspects who were not convicted. Severely criticised by civil rights groups, the new Criminal Justice Bill now before Parliament extends this rule to people who are arrested but never charged.

Police DNA log now has 2m profiles (The Guardian, 26.06.2003)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,985006,00.html

DNA database being built by stealth, say civil rights groups (The Telegraph, 26.06.2003)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/26/ndna26...