'We must target potential offenders'-List Children on DNA Database

[Sundowner]

This just in from the "Making a list, checking it twice. Gonna find out who's naughty and nice." department.

Regards,
Sun

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/16/youthjustice.children

"Primary school children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behavior indicating they may become criminals in later life, according to Britain's most senior police forensics expert.

Gary Pugh, director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard and the new DNA spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said a debate was needed on how far Britain should go in identifying potential offenders, given that some experts believe it is possible to identify future offending traits in children as young as five.

'If we have a primary means of identifying people before they offend, then in the long-term the benefits of targeting younger people are extremely large,' said Pugh. 'You could argue the younger the better. Criminologists say some people will grow out of crime; others won't. We have to find who are possibly going to be the biggest threat to society......'

[Maverick]

What in hell do they think they are going to do with those kids they decide are genetically inclined to be a criminal? Why bother with a trial when you can incarcerate before an offense has even been committed. 

This is just freaking plain scary. It's not a step in the direction of a Police State. The step was way back there, this is simply confirmation that a de facto police state already exists.

"Last week it emerged that the number of 10 to 18-year-olds placed on the DNA database after being arrested will have reached around 1.5 million this time next year. Since 2004 police have had the power to take DNA samples from anyone over the age of 10 who is arrested, regardless of whether they are later charged, convicted, or found to be innocent."

I suppose next will be a screening to determine if some folks should be allowed to maintain their fertility based on a potential to pass on a criminal gene. 

[DieAz]

so precrime is coming.


the worst type of criminals are the ones coming up with and pushing stuff like this.

[Sundowner]

What in hell do they think they are going to do with those kids they decide are genetically inclined to be a criminal? Why bother with a trial when you can incarcerate before an offense has even been committed. 

My guess would be another reason to 'medicate' at an earlier and earlier age.

The next logical step is to identify anti-social tendencies prior to birth. Of course the answer to that problem is simple...terminate.

May God forgive us. 

Regards,
Sun

[DieAz]

"We have to find who are possibly going to be the biggest threat to society" Gary Pugh

top of that list as public enemy number one, would be Gary Pugh.

[Fishu]

The UK seems to be going faster towards the Orwell than the USA


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/mar/16/uksecurity.terrorism

Millions of commuters could have their private movements around cities secretly monitored under new counter-terrorism powers being sought by the security services.

Records of journeys made by people using smart cards that allow 17 million Britons to travel by underground, bus and train with a single swipe at the ticket barrier are among a welter of private information held by the state to which MI5 and police counter-terrorism officers want access in order to help identify patterns of suspicious behaviour

[FBplmmr]

Scary indeed!

In the movie Gattaca, people who had genetic markers that may indicate future heart disease or cancer were unable to obtain decent jobs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/

[moot]

Also sounds like an excuse for more social programs.

[Fishu]

Scary indeed!

In the movie Gattaca, people who had genetic markers that may indicate future heart disease or cancer were unable to obtain decent jobs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/

I've seen the movie. It's pretty nice, but scary and gets scarier year by year.

[lazs2]

gonna need a lot of money to fund that agency but..  I guess it will be worth it.... if it saves even one child... oh wait.. they want to put children on drugs and in prison...

nevermind.

lazs

[john9001]

we already have precrime laws, people are punished for what might happen.

[Shamus]

we already have precrime laws, people are punished for what might happen.

But if we expand on that we will be a lot safer.

shamus

[Shuckins]

Hmm....preemptive justice.  

The comic wag was right....There is NO INTELLIGENT LIFE on this planet.

Let me tole ya....having worked in the juvenile system for more than three years now, the benefits of behavior controlling medication are vastly overrated.  Most of the kids that come to my classroom after receiving their meds shortly after breakfast are unable to function properly.  They ARE calm...if you can call being comatose and drooling on the desk CALM.

And what fun it is when the doc screws up their prescription.  We recently had to de-tox a kid who had been taking a larger dose of his medication than he was supposed to.  He was addicted.  During the drying out period, his hands shook and the corners of his mouth twitched.

No thanks.  We don't need any more behavior modification...preemptive, drug, or otherwise...in the field of child behavioral management.

[Xargos]

Didn't Tom Cruise make a movie about something similar?

[lazs2]

shukins.. does anyone think that drugging children is a good idea or even.. not harmful to their social and physical health?

It seems to me to be criminal..  worse than criminal...

lazs