Australian CrimTrac DNA database running out of room
THE nation's controversial DNA database is two-thirds full just six months after it was finally connected to all police jurisdictions, and will require a substantial technology upgrade, CrimTrac says.
A strategic review found the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database, used by police to cross-check the genetic signatures of known criminals or suspects, already holds almost 500,000 profiles while the system has a functional capacity of around 750,000.
CrimTrac's biometrics manager Andrew Paterson said the review "identified the need to look at larger systems" to accommodate expansion. Originally mooted around 10 years ago, it took eight years to resolve legal differences and link all police criminal investigation systems into a uniform database that allows DNA sample matching across borders.
