UK: Home Office consultation document: "Modernising police powers"

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"Modernising police powers" - or rather sweeping new police powers, including to combat "future offending": Home Office consultation document (pdf). Includes extending police powers to take fingerprints, photos and DNA from "suspects" for any crime however minor - currently this power can be used if a person is simply arrested (since 1 January 2006 fingerprints and DNA can be taken and kept even if the person is not charged or convicted) - which is why the UK has the biggest DNA database in the world. Includes the statement that:

"The absence of the ability to take fingerprints etc in relation to all offences may be considered to undermine the value and purpose of having the ability to confirm or disprove identification and, importantly, to make checks on a searchable database aimed at detecting existing and future offending"

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