In the UK fingerprints are destroyed if a suspect is not convicted, so there would have to be a significant change in legal standards if a DNA database were to be established.

However, I for one see no reason why it should not be legally compulsory to supply a DNA sample to officers engaged in a search for a criminal, providing that those samples clearing their providers of any wrongdoing, were destroyed.

Surely this would give the same, or better, results, albeit with somewhat greater effort than consulting a database.

Don T.