The Guyana Police Force (GPF) may soon be legally empowered to collect DNA from any person taken into lawful custody in connection with a crime or offence for the purpose of identification.
According to the Police (Amendment) Bill, which was tabled in the House last Thursday “deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) information” is to be added to the list of identifying information police officers can record under Section 25 of the Police Act.
Currently, Section 25 provides that it is lawful for any member of the force to take and record for the purpose of identification any measurement, photographs and finger-print impression of all persons who may from time to time be in lawful custody.
