Almost half of officers’ DNA still missing from Met Police database
Almost half of the officers’ DNA and more than a fifth of their fingerprints are still missing from the Metropolitan Police database.
Elimination databases are used to exclude police officers’ DNA or fingerprints from crime scene samples; This helps prevent contamination from being confused with a suspect’s profile.
But incomplete data could also hamper the force’s ability to catch criminals within its ranks, like Wayne Couzens, the police officer who raped and murdered Sarah Everard in 2021.
The DNA of 17,458 of 32,431 Met Police officers is in the force’s disposal database; this rate is only 53.8%.
Meanwhile, there are fingerprints of 25,802 officers in the screening database, which is 79.6%.
In November 2024, London Standard The Met reported that around half of its officers may have their own DNA and fingerprints missing from their databases.
A Met Police spokesman said at the time: “We are in the process of assessing samples we do not currently have and ensuring our processes for collecting them are robust and effective.
“We expect this study to be concluded in the next 12 months,” he said.
It is understood a new database has been created to track the career lifecycle of biometric data samples associated with commissioned officers to ensure continuity, and the Met is “confident” its processes are secured.
The Met says it is also developing a more reliable data process, including identifying people with missing data, addressing outdated records and data quality issues, and identifying duplicate records for the same person.
However, the percentage of officers whose DNA is on file has increased only slightly in the 15 months since November 2024.
Scotland Yard says it aims to ensure the DNA and fingerprints of every police officer serving in the Metropolitan Police and the Met Special Constabulary are collected, recorded and uploaded to its screening database by March 31, 2028.
Former Labor Minister Dawn Butler said: Press Association He said it was “deeply disappointing” that progress on recording biometric data for all officers was “deeply disappointing” and that it was “an essential measure to help restore confidence in our police force”.
Brent MP said: “I have long been pressing the Met Police to ensure that every officer’s DNA and fingerprints are properly recorded in the database, so it is deeply disappointing to learn that progress has been slow.
“There can be no further delay – the Met now needs to act urgently to ensure every officer is included.
“This is crucial to eliminating crime where DNA is mistakenly left at the scene, but it is also about accountability, transparency and rebuilding public trust after serious cases of police misconduct in recent years.
“Keeping this information is an important safeguard that will help rebuild trust in our police force, and it will also benefit many great police officers.”
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.
