Fed: Police discuss need for national guidelines on DNA samples

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Fed: Police discuss need for national guidelines on DNA samples

The Police Federation of Australia may draw up national guidelines for DNA samplingof police officers following a proposal by Tasmania Police to introduce the scheme.

Tasmania Police Commissioner RICHARD MCCREADIE last year proposed voluntary DNA samplingof the force's 1,100 officers to assist the investigation of crime scenes.

Commissioner MCCREADIE said the information would be used to help investigators differentiatebetween real crime scene clues and accidental contamination by police officers.

But police federation chief executive MARK BURGESS says there are several key problemswith the proposal, including a lack of proposed legislation.

He says the issue should be dealt with on a national scale because it is likely tobe taken up by other police forces.

AAP RTV ce/gfr/wz/jh

KEYWORD: DNA (MELBOURNE)