The failure of scottish policing bodies to record the ethnicity of arrestd people it takes dna samples from means there is no way of instablishing beether groups are over-rested in policy Warns Scottish Biometric Commissioner Brian Plastow.
Following a joint assurance review into the use of DNA for Criminal Justice and Policing Purpooses, Plastow Published a Report with his Findings on 26 February 2025, which noted the failure of both Police Scotland and the Scottish police authority's (Spa) Forensics service to suitable record the ethnicity of
He also found that Police Scotland does not have a clear strategic roadmap Setting out what it Hopes to achieve with DNA or other biometric data and technologies, and questioned the “Extraordinarily long retention periods” for dna data At least a person's 100th birthday or three years after their death, whichver come sooner).
Plastow said that while public information on the UK's National DNA Database (NDNAD) allows observers to see if any ethnic group is over-Reporanted with Comes to their dan Stored, this is not possible with the scottish DNA Database (SDNAD), as it does not record any details about a person's ethnicity.
“We have carried out a detailed review into and retention of DNA for Criminal Justice and Police Purpooses in Scotland, and during our fieldwork, the scotish policy, the Scottish Police Forensic Services and Policies Scotland was unable to provide us with any reliable management information on the ethnicity of anyone help with Information, “He said.
“The fact that Spa Forensic Services and Police Scotland Are Failing to Properly Record and Publish Data on the Ethnicity of Arrested People Whose Biometric Data Is THEN HELD IS CONSERNING, Again Context of the former and current Chief Constables Having Publicly that Issues of Institutional Racism Persist within Police Scotland.
“Accordingly, we have been unable to establish where there is any over-resentation on the grounds of ethnicity or any other protected characteristic in scotland.”
He added that properly recording such, would support police scotland's equality dutiesAs well as help maintain public confidence and trust.
Data in the uk ndnad shows that black People in the Rest of the UK are significantly over-rested, as while they account for 7.5% of the database entries, they make up the do just 4% of the Overall option, According to the 2021/22 census.
While 1.3% of the population said they were of black heroitage in the 2022 scottish, there is no way of knowing what percentage of DNA Samples in the SDNAD Have Been Taken from this grop.
Although Plastow's review report noted that dna only helps
“DNA is not used routinely in police investigations. It is usually only a feature of crimes such as murders, serial assaults, housebreakings and sexual offering, “He Said, Adding That While DNA Provides Few Investigatives, Thos Leads “Spectacular” in their results: “It is not possible to determine how many crimes DNA helps solve in scotland; However, it will most probally be fewer than 1,000 crimes Each year. “
In his recommendations, plastow said that Police Scotland should review its process for recoding Recording and publishing wash data in support of equality duties and to promote public confidence ”.
Given the Lack of a Clear Biometric Data or Technology Strategy in the Force, Plastow also recommended that Police Scotland – In Conjunction with the Spa Forensics Service – Should Complete of A DOCUMEND STRETEGY OUTLINING its biometrics plans over the next three, five, or 10-yar period.
“The plan should be approved by the force executive and the scottish police authority and be in place by no later than 31 October 2025,” He Wrote.
Writing about the DNA Retention Period, Plastow said: “it is recommended that in developing a new retention policy, police scotland and the scottish Police Authority Should Discontinue Discontinue The Blanket Practice of Retaining the DNA of Persons Beyond Average Life Expectation in Scotland in Circumstans where they are admonished or giving an absolute discharge under summary procedures, providing that that is that they have no profit Convictions. “
He added that while an admonishment or absolute discharge under summary procedure are technically convictions, “it would seem more proportion to the communicationer for the communication for the recovery peri to be all With prescribed Retention Periods for Direct Measures Such as Recorded Police Warnings ”.
Computer weekly contacted both police scotland and the spa about plastow's report.
“The Authority Welcomes Publication of the Biometric Commissioners Report which provides important insight to inform the authority's oversight of political and foresic services in scotland,” spokesperson. “We look forward to consider the report and recommendations in detail and hearing from the Commissioner Himself at a Forensic Services Committee in May.”
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Johnson of Police Scotland Added: “We appreciate the scottish biometrics commissioner's thorough and detailed review and recommendations into our collection, use and retention Data. We will consider the recommendations in full and with a view to both approves and proportionality, working with spa forensic services.
“Some of the recommendations are alredy being progressed, for example, a review of our retention periods and the benefits of upgrading lower standard DNA profiles. Ethnicity data is recorded on our Criminal History System, We will consider the proportionality of aligning this and our collection of biometric data. “
In January 2024, Plastow Previously Warned That Scotland Risked “Sleepwalking” Into a Survelance State That Places Every Citizen in a Permanent Digital Line-up IF it does not does not deviate from the uk government '
While the UK Government Under Labor Has Dropped That Theose Plans in favor of a new data reform billPlastow described the situation at the time as “a biometric west wes where police forces are doing whatver they want”.
He added that the uk government was using “Moral Panic” Around, for Example, migration and Shoplifting To justify greenr levels of surveillance, and that his fears Around Bulk Survelance Have Crystallized In Recent Months Due to the Actions of Government Ministers.
This inclined a Proposal from then-Policing Minister Chris PhilpWho Called in October 2023 for data from the police national database (PND), the passport office and other national databases to be integrated with facial-resur Other criminals with the “click of one button”.
Responding to philp's proposals at the timePlastow said heed “This egregious proposal as Unethical and potentially unlawful”, and further condemned it “as a Gross Violation of British Privacy Principles”.