Should fingerprints be taken in this manner?

whisky mac

Hi Joan This is a thought provoking question good or bad it is a sign of the times we up here have a free bus pass and the powers that be would love to put our finger print on it along with our blood group an other form of ID and the system going mad even banks are talking about using your finger print on their ATMs before you can draw money ( Big Brother is Watching you )

Randy B

At least here in Canada, once someone is found not guilty, they can apply to have their prints removed from the system. Many don't do it because they don't know they can but it's something they should look into.

With a name like Northamptonshire, I'm assuming you are in the UK. What you are referring to, I assume, are the small portable finger print scanners that the police will be carrying (and some already have). These devices are scanners only and they do not retain the print they just compare it to those already on file. It's not a case where they will back to the station and download your print into a "big brother" database. It's just a way to compare who you say you are against already known and judicially authorized fingerprint databases.

Blink.

I was arrested and charged with assault, taken to the police station where my finger prints were taken along with a sample of my DNA. I was found not guilty by the court but my prints and DNA are kept on record. That's bad!

LEE PETER

This is an advanced suss law and you can bet the usual gang of...'If you've done nothing wrong you've nothing to fear'will be out in force.Trouble is with us Brits is were to apathetic and cannot see the dangers of a police state our kids will have to endure.Big Brother has been here for ages but as each year passes it gets more creepy and insidious.The argument is now being won by the police under mainly the anti-terrorist laws,the snoopers charter on both sides of the Atlantic,and anyone caught in the cross fire it's tough.About 25 years ago some copper told me that the Computer system at Scotland Yard held enough to fill 13xA4 pages of every individual over 18 in the UK.That was in 1984 I think,what changes have we had since then?wake up people before it is truly a nightmare state.

arbiter

Immigration were using this in Brick Lane market (joint operation with police and trading standards against the guys selling counterfeit tobacco a couple of years ago

woznotwoz

Yes the police are allowed to do that, but it has to be for a recordable offence.

You can refuse to give finger prints all you like, but I assure you, if there's a requirement to take your prints then they will be taken by force whether you like it or not.

Red Baron:- Yes they can for a recordable offence, that's the way it is.

Allen P

I'm not sure what your situation was for that department to take your print, but I'm assuming it is now their department policy to capture a print since people (ie. friends/family) are calming to be someone other then who they are suppose to be. It's a check to make sure, say they issue a citation to someone with no valid ID and only gave the name say Joe Blow. Well of course Joe Blow is not the real name but the name of his brother who has never been arrested in his life. He now gets the warrant for his arrest and when he gets pulled over by the police in taken into custody, the police now have a reference print to compare and can now say, yes the person issued the original citation is not you and he can now be released.
So you see, it's a check to make sure honest people are honest and that your not railroaded for something you did not do. So it's a good thing that department is taking prints.
Our department has been doing it for years and have caught numerous people using other peoples name. Just one thing to know, when we do find someone using someones else name, the person who lied now get to go to real jail for identity fraud. Next time, they won't lie.

inneedofhelp

i know some ppl who would get arrested then give someone elses name and address, d.o.b etc, just so they had no criminal record, so i think taking prints is a good idea, i also think ppl should carry some form of id, and be made to produce it if an officer asked.
they do not however have any right to take your prints, you can refuse if you wish, but bare in mind somebody may ebough about you to give a false name, and make you out to be a criminal

elin j

You can blame that on the increase of identity fraud.
To be honest, I don't mind my prints being on a database because I have nothing to hide. Okay, I understand it's a little bit 'big brother' style
and people may feel its an infringement of human rights, but still, I think it's safer in the long run.

Besides, they can't convict you soley on fingerprints anyways.

Demon guy, I'm disgusted with your ignorance, and idiotic answer. Clearly you did not read all questions thoroughly.

As for your violently objection comment, whatever. Does that mean you would violently attack an officer for asking for your finger print? Which would then result in you having to provide your fingerprint under S.61 PACE . Clever guy.

Just for the record, I have never been in trouble with the police, I haven't even been stopped an searched. At the end of the day, like I've already stated, Identity fraud is on the increase, so they have to take these measures. Whatever fits the crime.

Mad Max

No it is not right. Total infringement of civil liberties.

The truth

If someone gets pulled over, and claims to be you, you will be glad they rolled fingerprints.

Josh

I am not sure of Northhamptonshire Police policy. I do know my Police Depts. policy. I am required by my department to take the right pointer fingers finger print for a class B misdemeanor. again, I am not sure of that dept. policy, but if they refuse the finger print I believe we are required to arrest. Then it wouldn't matter, you would get your fingerprints taken there.

I hope this helps you. If you are really interested you should call up your local police dept. and ask them their policy.

Also, I would imagine they are getting fingerprints after they have at least made a citation. Traffic violations are class C misdemeanors in the state where I work, and they are arrestable offenses. So Police Officers are not violating any ones rights by taking finger prints, even if they are on the side of the road. So the people who's fingerprints they are taking are not innocent people. Are they bad people, probably not, but innocent is not the right word. They are guilty of an illegal act.

insane_mad_maniak

why, what you got to hide? lol

jk, you can just say no, you know, just because it's the police, dosnt mean that you have to do everything they say, it's not a police state yet. unless you have done something wrong, then you should listen and do what they say, if you havnt, then you can just say no.

ZombieToast

Don't commit any heinous crimes and you shouldn't have to worry. I personally think this is a good thing. Too often fingerprints are found at a crime scene and can't be identified. I don't know the whole story, but I'm assuming this is why they're taking such actions. Besides, you have to get your fingerprints taken when you get a driver's license or open up a bank account anyway, right?

Val G

Personally, I can't understand what all the fuss is about! So what if they take your fingerprints and keep them. It makes it cheaper and easier for them to rule out 99.9% of the population for each crime they presently spend a fortune on investigating, without having to re-fingerprint the 'usual suspects'!

If your fingers were nowhere near any crime being investigated, why would you worry?

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