The number of profiles relating to individuals added to the database each month for all police forces since its foundation in 1995 is shown in the following table.
A certain number of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests). At present the replication rate is 13.7 per cent., i.e. the number of people whose details are loaded is 13.7 per cent. fewer than the number of profiles. However, as the replication rate has varied over time, an exact figure for the number of people who have been added to the database in each month since 1995 cannot be given.
The National DNA Database records the DNA profile for a particular individual. It does not hold data on arrest and criminal records. This information is held on the Police National Computer. To produce figures for the category of offence in relation to which the DNA sample was taken would require cross-searching of PNC and the NDNAD, which could be done only at disproportionate cost.
For the same reason, it is not possible to give precise figures for the stage in the criminal justice system at which someone had a DNA sample taken. However, under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the police have the power to take DNA and fingerprints from anyone arrested for a recordable offence and detained in a police station, and retain them indefinitely; and taking a DNA sample is now a normal part of handling of arrested persons in the custody suite. So it is expected that in most cases the sample would have been taken when the person was being dealt with in the custody suite after arrest.
Profiles loaded Subject 1995-96 April 0 May 148 June 3,205 July 1,872 August 1,057 September 635 October 4,035 November 3,551 December 2,196 January 5,752 February 6,257 March 4,899 Total 33,607 1996-97 April 4,433 May 5,482 June 4,641 July 5,370 August 4,075 September 6,426 October 8,398 November 8,939 December 5,334 January 9,316 February 9,554 March 8,470 Total 80,438 1997-98 April 7,740 May 10,310 June 10,444 July 11,692 August 9,491 September 10,570 October 10,698 November 10,617 December 9,017 January 9,175 February 11,208 March 18,819 Total 129,781 1998-99 April 14,272 May 13,428 June 12,527 July 15,021 August 18,339 September 23,747 October 24,676 November 23,032 December 24,609 January 35,772 February 28,752 March 22,255 Total 256,430 1999-2000 April 15,754 May 18,380 June 15,057 July 16,400 August 17,343 September 15,662 October 17,510 November 16,976 December 12,680 January 18,698 February 25,161 March 30,108 Total 219,729 2000-01 April 19,857 May 25,579 June 30,168 July 32,212 August 34,682 September 34,115 October 35,125 November 34,626 December 28,393 January 37,699 February 37,785 March 46,319 Total 396,560 20001-02 April 34,632 May 30,051 June 34,128 July 35,774 August 34,320 September 42,856 October 49,164 November 50,217 December 44,651 January 55,046 February 53,328 March 39,829 Total 503,996 2002-03 April 42,149 May 51,857 June 33,909 July 44,801 August 42,251 September 38,847 October 39,792 November 38,055 December 35,536 January 40,086 February 35,039 March 46,197 Total 488,519 2003-04 April 33,322 May 38,871 June 37,856 July 45,359 August 38,375 September 36,603 October 38,108 November 35,069 December 33,149 January 39,335 February 42,220 March 57,030 Total 475,297 2004-05 April 36,877 May 32,507 June 42,825 July 43,291 August 49,153 September 31,832 October 48,573 November 49,035 December 48,064 January 44,039 February 45,926 March 48,996 Total 521,118 2005-06 April 50,577 May 52,704 June 53,404 July 50,578 August 54,437 September 64,118 October 61,915 November 67,869 December 55,152 January 63,246 February 70,878 March 70,267 Total 715,145 2006-07 April 49,407 May 70,413 June 55,778 July 66,370 August 78,647 September 64,478 October 59,470 November 63,636 December 48,701 January 55,135 February 54,461 March 55,968 Total 722,464 207-08 April 50,077 May 54,718 June 49,701 July 55,273 August 49,025 September 48,632 Total 307,426
It is understood that this question refers to the number of samples taken from crime scenes added to the National DNA Database, since a separate question has been asked on the number of people added. The number of crime scene samples added each month for all police forces since the foundation of the Database in 1995 is shown in the attached table. Crime scene samples are not normally retained on the Database once the crime from which they were taken has been solved. Therefore the number of such samples currently on the database is less than the total number that have been loaded since 1995.
Profiles loaded Scene 1995-96 April 0 May 0 June 0 July 0 August 74 September 102 October 226 November 131 December 188 January 173 February 410 March 628 Total 1,932 1996-97 April 673 May 583 June 421 July 198 August 60 September 91 October 244 November 455 December 444 January 543 February 435 March 1,046 Total 5,193 1997-98 April 1,236 May 908 June 1257 July 1,449 August 1,327 September 1,545 October 1,019 November 600 December 922 January 818 February 1,022 March 1,067 Total 1,3170 1998-99 April 715 May 642 June 823 July 763 August 958 September 1,396 October 1,153 November 1,376 December 1,621 January 1,342 February 1,339 March 1,359 Total 1,3487 1999-2000 April 731 May 984 June 1331 July 1390 August 1478 September 1961 October 1596 November 1795 December 1394 January 1597 February 2056 March 2038 Total 18351 2000-01 April 1,659 May 2,005 June 2,317 July 2,316 August 2,612 September 2,589 October 2,391 November 2,601 December 2,264 January 2,562 February 2,587 March 3,105 Total 29,008 2001-02 April 2,480 May 2,723 June 2,887 July 2,871 August 3,123 September 3,223 October 3,534 November 4,094 December 3,327 January 3,836 February 3,841 March 5,280 Total 41,219 2002-03 April 4294 May 5501 June 4139 July 6144 August 4476 September 4263 October 5465 November 6245 December 4910 January 5121 February 4988 March 5885 Total 61431 2003-04 April 4,793 May 4,840 June 5,449 July 5,327 August 4,365 September 5,437 October 5,664 November 4,127 December 4,401 January 4,827 February 5,210 March 5,786 Total 6,0226 2004-05 April 4,673 May 4,492 June 5,290 July 4,821 August 4,509 September 4,478 October 4,931 November 4,921 December 4,762 January 5,286 February 5,442 March 5,642 Total 59,247 2005-06 April 5,217 May 1,0719 June 6,884 July 5,097 August 5,153 September 5,646 October 5,173 November 5,309 December 3,965 January 5,481 February 4,966 March 5,164 Total 68,774 2006-07 April 4,637 May 4,926 June 4,793 July 4,871 August 4,663 September 4,647 October 4,716 November 4,503 December 3,715 January 4,756 February 4,407 March 4,583 Total 55,217 2007 April 4,643 May 4,430 June 4,325 July 4,282 August 4,388 September 4,256 Total 2,6324
A non-convicted individual’s DNA record will be accessed by the police only if it matches a record subsequently loaded from a crime scene or another individual.
The purpose of the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is to hold a record of a person’s DNA which can be matched against DNA taken from crime scenes. The database can also match DNA taken from different crime scenes. The police do not have direct access to the records on the database, and receive reports on people on it only if their DNA matches DNA from a crime scene. This is true both for those convicted of a crime and those not convicted. Matches between two apparently different individuals may also occur. The usual reason is that a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests).
There may be an innocent explanation for someone’s presence at a crime scene, so a match report is simply a piece of intelligence leading to further inquiries. If a match between DNA from a crime scene and DNA from an individual is found, a report of the match is sent to the police forces which loaded the crime scene data and the individual data, to make further inquiries.
The national DNA database (NDNAD) records the DNA profile for a particular individual. It does not hold data on arrest and criminal records. This information is held on the police national computer (PNC). Obtaining the information sought would require cross searching of records held on the PNC against the NDNAD, which could only be done at disproportionate cost.