CRIME INFORMATION
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The Police may disclose details of crime patterns and
trends. To assist in the prevention or detection of
crime, the Police may also give descriptions of suspects
or vehicle registration numbers.
For example:
- Between 1 and 6 June, a series of burglaries occurred
at residential properties in The Street, Any Town.
The offences took place during the morning and the
offender(s) entered the properties through insecure
windows at the rear of the houses.
- A white Ford Escort, registration number X123 ABC
was seen to leave the scene of one of these burglaries.
- A male was seen at the rear of one of these properties
and when challenged made off. He is described as a
white male, 5’ 10” in height, slim build,
long dark hair and aged 25 years.
You will see the examples give no personal details
in relation to these offences. Number or names of the
properties have been omitted, together with the occupant’s
name.
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If Police staff attend a crime scene they may consider it
necessary, for the purpose of detecting or preventing crime,
to give personal details to a person who may be able to assist
the Police with their enquiries. An example would be:
‘Your neighbour at number 5 has been burgled, did you
see anything suspicious within the last hour whilst you were
at home?’
This is not a blanket authority for the Police staff to distribute
personal details of victims to Watch Members.
They must give good reason for giving out these details and
should record these reasons as they may be asked at a later
date to substantiate their decision.
Once this information is given, the person receiving it is
also bound by Data Protection and should not distribute these
personal details without the consent of the victim.
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Keeping Records
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What is Data Protection?
There is a great deal of personal details retained by
organisations. Data Protection provides safeguards as
to how this is used.
If you keep personal details of people involved in
a Watch Scheme, what must you do?
Be clear as to why you require the personal data. You
must have good reason to keep particular information;
for example, maintaining a scheme member’s name,
address and telephone number because it is necessary
to keep in regular contact with them.
However, it would not be acceptable to retain personal
details of somebody who had moved away and hence resigned
from your scheme.
- Advise the individuals that you retain their personal
details and the reasons for this.
- Consent – have they given their consent for
you to retain their personal details? Don’t
just assume this is the case.
- Only collect information you need. Again, ask yourself
‘why am I collecting this information, do the
people understand what it will be used for?’
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Can I
share this information?
To share personal
details you must make the individual aware you
wish to share it and why you wish to share it,
as their consent is required. You should always
ask yourself, ‘is it necessary to disclose
the personal details?’
Don’t forget
that you should seek your scheme member’s
permission to hold personal details about them
such as name, address and telephone number. |
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Human Rights Act
Since Neighbourhood Watch Schemes are supported by the Constabulary
which has obligations under the Human Rights Act, members
are reminded that they must consider the privacy of others
when recording or disseminating information.
Any obviously private information relating to or from which
an individual may be identified must only be processed for
the purposes of the prevention of crime, the protection of
the rights and freedoms of others, or apprehension of offenders.
For further information or advice concerning the Human Rights
Act please contact your local CWLC.
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