DNA sampling

or more importantly- a DNA database- is something I believe to be a good idea. DNA matching is a very important crime-fighting tool.

IF and only IF the criteria for being added to this database are made crystal clear.

Firstly- you must be a criminal convicted of an offense punishable by imprisonment to make the database. Unless you decide for reasons of your own that you wish to be added to the database voluntarily (say for a scenario such as the possibility of disaster victim ID) . In that case the volunteer must bear the costs involved.

Secondly- If you have been ARRESTED for an offense punishable by imprisonment, a sample may be taken as evidence, but may not be added to the database until you are convicted. For people who need to be eliminated as suspects, samples are at the taxpayers expense and are destroyed when the case is resolved or a set period of time has passed.

Thirdly- All those fans of the Nanny State and those who tell us that DNA database is nothing to be feared by the law-abiding will of course be adding their DNA at their own expense..