Police National Computer access guidelines
Dear Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services,
I would like to enquire about any documents framing the modalities of access to the information held on the PNC. Ideally, this would include an overarching document that establishes the rules and ethics of use of the PNC, as well as the documents specifically regulating the rules of access to this information for the following bodies:
- the 45 territorial police forces (I expect that they will share a single document)
- Immigration Enforcement
- the 3 special police forces (each one might have a different document)
- Border force
- the National Health Service
To give an example that should further clarify my request:
I am aware that the NPCC issued a guidance [1] on the information-sharing between police and immigration enforcement on 07/12/2018, which stated, among other things, that police officers must not access the PNC for the sole purpose of checking a victim's or a witness's immigration status when dealing with a crime report. I expect that the documents governing the access to the PNC by police will contain this rule.
The FoI request could not be fulfilled by the NPCC, as they declared they did not hold this information [2] and directed me towards the Home Office. However, the HMICFRS being the authority in charge of inspecting PNC use [3], I believe it might be able to provide some information.
Notably, in the most recent PNC report [4] by HMICFRS (from 2017), documents such as PNC Code of Practice, User Manual, Code of Connection, as well as PNC trainings, are referred to, but they do not seem to be public. The only information I was able to access relevant to my enquiry is the Home Office's PNC guidance for immigration staff from 2013 [5]
[1]: https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/new...
[2]: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/p...
[3]: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/...
[4]: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/...
[5]: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...
Thanks,
Y. Pahe
Dear Y Pahe
Thank you for your email.
Your request is being handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We will aim to send you a full response by, 10/03/2020 which is 20 working days from the date we received your request.
Yours sincerely
FOI Team
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
Dear Y Pahe
Please find attached a letter in response to your FOI request.
Yours sincerely
FOI Team
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
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