Early last week the government announced the loss of 150,000 records from the Police National Computer (PNC). By the end of the week they had corrected this and said that over 400,000 had been lost.

The PNC stores information on those who have been arrested but where no further action has followed. This is crucial intelligence about suspects that police can access at any time, not least if these particular suspects come to the notice of the police again or as a result of other investigations.

The records contain details of suspects arrests and convictions, vehicles and property, together with DNA and fingerprint information through linked systems. Each of these records can be held for different periods of time.

The PCC said:

“The revelation that thousands of police records have been accidentally deleted from the Police National Computer (PNC) is deeply concerning.”

“The impact of this loss on criminal investigations cannot be underestimated. It is sometimes only possible for some suspects to be charged and convicted because their fingerprints and DNA can be checked against what is held on the PNC from other incidents.”

“There is little doubt that if these records cannot be restored, some suspects will get away with their crimes and some victims will be denied justice.”

The PNC can also be accessed by other organisations such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Prison Service and UK Border operations.

The PCC went on:

“Serious questions have to be answered about competence. How did this happen? Is there no back-up? Who oversees this? Are the governance arrangements adequate? Who is to be held accountable?”

“We have been told that the records were accidentally wiped during routine work on the systems, but this begs the question of why this possibility was not foreseen and what oversight was in operation.”

“I recognise that this could shake public confidence in the ability of the Home Office to guarantee that they have a grip on electronic storage of crucial information held nationally.”

“I am speaking to the Chief Constable this week to see whether there is any way we can know what impact this could have on local investigations.”

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