(1888PressRelease)
August 09, 2007 - Motorists may be interested to know that a number of police officers are apparently in favour of taking DNA samples from people caught speeding.
According to a recently-published Home Office consultation document, "a number of respondents welcomed the ability to reduce the threshold" at which law enforcement officials are allowed to demand swabs for the government's DNA database, reports the Times.
And it means that officers would theoretically be entitled to swab people found to have undertaken a host of non-imprisonable offences such as speeding and dropping litter.
This could potentially mean a sizeable expansion in the size of the DNA database, which already contains four million samples - including 100 records from under-tens and 883,888 swabs of kids aged between ten and 17 years old.
At present, the database is the largest of its kind in the world and cost in excess of £300 million to set up.
Commenting on the proposals, David Davis, shadow home secretary, has demanded a "clear and substantive debate" on the issue and claimed that the government is in danger of ignoring the will of the electorate.
"They have already encroached on people's privacy without proper debate on this matter and this can go no further," he added.
And the Association of Chief Police Officers warned that expanding the remit of the DNA database to cover motorists who are flashed by a gatso speed camera could be seen as proof of "the increasing criminalisation of the law-abiding public".
Nevertheless, both Brian Pincher of Norfolk police and Kath Mashiter of Lancashire police have indicated they are in favour of the expansion of police powers.
And responding to criticism about the likely hike in administration costs for the project, Inspector Thomas Huntley of the Ministry of Defence police has contended that "this should be considered as preferential to allowing a serious offender to walk away from custody following arrest for a non-recordable offence".
But a Home Office spokesman has stressed that "no decisions have yet been made" regarding the proposals.
Currently, motorists who are caught breaking the speed limit face a £60 speeding ticket and three penalty points on their licence but cannot be imprisoned if they accept these penalties.
In related news, a police chief was recently found to have been travelling at 72 mph in a 60 mph zone in his Land Rover.
Northern constabulary head Ian Latimer was caught breaking the law by a gatso speed camera on the A9 on July 1st 2007.
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