Buckle Up, Britons, or Submit DNA

Britain may give police the authority to take DNA samples from anyone stopped for a minor crime, such as littering, speeding or not wearing a seat belt, the Guardian reports. And they'll be able to do so right on the street—without going to the police station, if the Home Office gets the new powers it has requested.

The UK's DNA database is already the world's largest, with profiles of 3.4 million people, including one of every three black men. The proposal, which enjoys wide support among police, comes just as a public inquiry is being launched to examine the implications of the current database. It allows cops to take fingerprints and footwear impressions on the street, as well as DNA samples from scofflaws. (More littering stories.)