Biometric data capture of children by Police Scotland falls
27/10/2025 | Futurescot
Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Dr Brian Plastow has welcomed a 7.5% reduction in the number of children arrested by Police Scotland who had their biometric data captured. The change follows a 2023 review by Dr Plastow, which recommended that Police Scotland develop a policy against the blanket capture of fingerprints, DNA, and images from under-18s.
Effective from March 2024, Police Scotland introduced a new policy restricting biometric capture to children arrested in connection with violent or sexual offending, or by exception. Dr Plastow noted that this policy resulted in 152 fewer children having their biometrics taken in the subsequent year, reducing the annual total from 2,003 to 1,851. However, despite the progress, Dr Plastow reiterated his support for increasing Scotland's age of criminal responsibility, which currently stands at 12.
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