That DNA database, again.

So yet again we have the siren calls for a national DNA database to solve crimes.:

The Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, Tony Lake, speaks for the association on DNA.

He said: "If there was a national database of everybody then we would solve more crime, of that there is absolutely no doubt.

Apart from the statist crap about controlling the citizens: Lets look at the practicalities:

How are they going to take 60 million samples without making a mistake?

How much will it cost? A private legally recognised paternity DNA test costs £399. Now this is for collecting and comparing 2 samples. Lets say, for the sake of argument, collecting and storing 1 sample costs £100. That's a total of £6Bn, before we start. I don't know about anyone else but that's a lot of money to be squandering on a database that probably won't work.

Next we have the process. We are often told DNA matches are a "1 in a million" chance. Unfortunately the hard of thinking means that it means that the person matched is guilty "dun'it". Really it means that there will be at least 60 matches in the UK, give or take a few.

So what will happen next? Assuming the police get some DNA from the scene and get 60 matches are they going to round them all up and make them prove their innocence? Given the likelihood of false positives and mistakes, it could be that the "guilty" person isn't even arrested.

Its one thing for the average citizen to be calling for these simple solutions but the police should no better.