Almost half of officers’ DNA nonetheless lacking from Met Police database | EUROtoday

Nearly half of officers’ DNA continues to be lacking from the Metropolitan Police’s database, together with greater than a fifth of their fingerprints.

Elimination databases are used to exclude cops’ DNA or fingerprints from crime scene samples, serving to to stop contamination from being mistaken for a suspect’s profile.

However, the lacking information might additionally hamper the drive’s capacity to catch criminals in their very own ranks, like Wayne Couzens, a police officer who raped and murdered Sarah Everard in 2021.

Of the 32,431 Met Police officers, 17,458 have their DNA on the drive’s elimination database, which is simply 53.8%.

Meanwhile, 25,802 officers have their fingerprints on the elimination database, which is 79.6%.

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In November 2024, the London Standard reported that round half of the Met’s officers could possibly be lacking from its personal DNA and fingerprint databases.

A Met Police spokesperson mentioned on the time: “We’re in the process of assessing those samples we don’t currently hold and ensuring our processes to collect them are robust and effective.

“We expect this work to conclude in the next 12 months.”

It is known a brand new database has been established to trace the profession lifecycle of biometric information samples related to serving officers to make sure continuity and the Met is “confident” its processes have been assured.

The Met additionally says it has developed a extra dependable information course of to determine people whose information is lacking, addressing legacy data and information high quality points, together with figuring out duplicate data for a similar individual.

That mentioned, the proportion of officers with their DNA on file has risen little or no within the 15 months since November 2024.

Scotland Yard says it goals to make sure that the DNA and fingerprints for each serving police officer within the Metropolitan Police and Met Special Constabulary are collected, recorded and uploaded to the elimination database by March 31, 2028.

Labour former minister Dawn Butler advised the Press Association it’s “deeply disappointing” that progress has been sluggish on guaranteeing that biometric information of all officers are recorded, which she mentioned is an “essential safeguard to help restore confidence in our police service”.

The Brent MP mentioned: “I have long pushed for the Met Police to ensure that the DNA and fingerprints of every single serving officer are properly recorded on the database, so it is deeply disappointing to learn that progress has been slow.

“There can be no more delay — the Met must now act with urgency to ensure every officer is included.

“This is essential for crime elimination when DNA is inadvertently left at a scene, but it’s also about accountability, transparency and rebuilding public trust after the serious cases of police misconduct in recent years.

“Holding this information is an essential safeguard to help restore confidence in our police service, which will benefit the many amazing officers too.”

The Metropolitan Police had been contacted for remark.