The question of whether citizens are tasked with providing their DNA information for the purpose of a national database is a question of debate in the public sphere of the country. The issue of present technology and the incorporation of DNA processes into the legal system have prompted the need for the creation of such a database. At the same time, privacy concerns are also presented within this argument. This paper discusses the issue of DNA data collection and the role governments play.
One of the great advantages of such a database would be the ease with which governments could ensure crime levels are significantly reduced. With a database to refer to, evidence from a crime scene would automatically provide the government with the first lead to making arrests (Leiman, Lorenzi, Wyatt, Doney, & Rosenbloom, 2008). Moreover, non-suspicious citizens would never have their DNA used by the government for this purpose. The fact that the procedure is painless and with a one-time cost to the government on the initial collection, and continues progressively through other generations.
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On the other hand, the fact that DNA would be present at every place a person is found could be reason for making arbitrary arrests. Without the proper legal precautions in place, the collection of a national database would remain an unmanned issue subject to arbitrary use. As a result, it would not be beneficial. The majority of American citizens feel that sufficient protections need to be placed on DNA data to avoid the invasion of the right to privacy (Pulley, Brace, Bernard, & Masys, 2008). Notwithstanding, other countries’ professionals such as Scotland have embraced the idea of a bio databank for the purpose of DNA storage (Leiman, Lorenzi, Wyatt, Doney, & Rosenbloom, 2008).
In conclusion, the issue of a bio databank is an issue of radical change that has come with changing technology. National DNA databases for governments could be the next step in ensuring that citizens remain well protected. Moreover, some countries have already successfully implemented this system. Such countries could be used as case studies during the implementation of the system in other countries.
References
Leiman, D. A., Lorenzi, N. M., Wyatt, J. C., Doney, A. S., & Rosenbloom, S. T. (2008). US and Scottish health professionals' attitudes toward DNA biobanking. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 15(3) , 357-362.
Pulley, J. M., Brace, M. M., Bernard, G. R., & Masys, D. R. (2008). Attitudes and perceptions of patients towards methods of establishing a DNA biobank. Cell and tissue banking, 9(1) , 55-65.
