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MPA Civil Liberties Panel open meeting Thursday 1 July 2010 - DNA - tell us what you think

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 24 June 2010

The MPA Civil Liberties Panel is holding an open meeting on Thursday 1 July 09:00 – 12:00 in London’s Living Room, City Hall, as part of its current review into the National DNA Database (NDNAD) and the use of DNA in policing.

Victoria Borwick, MPA member and chair of the panel, said:

“The most important part of our review is to hear Londoners’ views. It is vital we hear directly from people about their personal experiences and concerns regarding this key civil liberties issue.

“This meeting will form an essential part of our evidence gathering exploring how the Met’s DNA collection and retention impacts on London’s communities. We would particularly welcome firsthand accounts of those who have had their DNA taken by police and from those who have requested that their DNA be removed from the database.

“We want to engage as widely as possible with individuals and groups who believe they can contribute to our review. It is important that we have as much input as possible from people who have experience of, or strong views about, DNA collection. We expect to present our report at the end of the year.”

The panel is particularly interested in hearing about the following issues:

• How was your DNA taken, did you understand why it was being taken?

• Did you offer your DNA voluntarily, and what was your experience of this?

• Do you think that using DNA as a way of establishing innocence or guilt it a good idea?

• Do you think that DNA testing is reliable?

• Do you know what information is obtained by the police from the DNA sample you give?

• Do you know how long your DNA is kept on the database?

• Have you tried to get your DNA removed from the database?

• Do you think the taking of DNA affects some communities more than others?

• Are you confident that the police will not share your DNA with anyone else?

• Do you think that keeping the DNA of those not found guilty of an offence is fair?

This is an open meeting, but if you cannot attend please send your comments to dna@mpa.gov.uk
or write to:
Civil Liberties Panel, MPA, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY
Please send your comments by 31st August 2010.

As part of this review the MPA Civil Liberties Panel is engaged in a number of meetings with senior Met police officers, representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) holding specific responsibility for DNA policy and MPS forensic staff. The panel is also visiting the National DNA Database Custodian in Birmingham, the MPS central DNA unit and a Met custody suite to gain a practical understanding of the processes involved.

Notes to Editors

1. The Civil Liberties Panel was introduced in Met Forward, the MPA's mission statement for London’s police, as a means of securing public confidence in policing tactics in the capital and ensuring the Met maintains public trust.

‘Our duty, as London’s police authority, is to ensure the Met restores and maintains public trust. In order to support this, we will establish a Civil Liberties Panel of Authority members that will begin its work with a formal civil liberties scrutiny of the Met’s public order policing of violent disorder. Once the initial scrutiny is complete, the panel will continue both to monitor the situation and hear specific concerns from the public and human rights organisations.’ www.mpa.gov.uk/publications /metforward

2. Date, time and venue for the open meeting: Thursday 1 July 2010 09:30 – 12:00. London’s Living Room, City Hall, Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2AA.
The open meeting will be recorded and the webcast made available on the MPA website after the meeting.
For more information about the Civil Liberties Panel please visit: www.mpa.gov.uk/clp

Jacqui Jones: 020 7202 0217
Michael Upton: 020 7202 0218

Out of hours duty phone: 07769 742 795
Email: firstname.secondname@mpa.gov.uk
Website: www.mpa.gov.uk

Met Forward: fighting crime and reducing criminality; increasing confidence in policing; and giving us better value for money
www.mpa.gov.uk/publications /metforward

Contacts:

Jacqui Jones.
Phone: 020 7202 0217
jacqui.jones@mpa.gov.uk

Michael Upton.
Phone: 020 7202 0218
michael.upton@mpa.gov.uk