The January 2021 revelation by the UK government that coding errors on the Police National Computer meant thousands of records were deleted went largely unnoticed, as it came in the midst of the post-Christmas lockdowns and waves of coronavirus infections. However, in July 2021 the policing minister gave more details, and told parliament that over 200,000 offences, relating to over 112,000 people had been accidentally deleted from the system. Around 15,000 people had had their entire police record wiped. Fortunately, the data was recovered after using back-ups. But the fact that a simple coding error had such a devastating effect has highlighted the belief of many that the Police National Computer (PNC) is no longer fit for purpose.
Independent Enquiry
The government set up an independent enquiry almost immediately to look at exactly how the coding error happened, and to put measures in place to stop it from happening again. Although technology has moved on considerably in past decades, the PNC system has not. Experts have previously flagged up that the technology is not only outdated but very expensive to maintain, due to the lack of experienced IT staff familiar with both the software and hardware.
National Law Enforcement Data Programme (NLEDP)
As far back as 2014, plans were made to replace the PNC with a new computer system called the National Law Enforcement Data Programme, or NLEDP. This new system is due for release at some point in 2023 and intends to replace all crime databased currently used by the Police. Without getting too technical, the NLEDP is designed to be more flexible, with the capability to record and index lots of types of information uploaded from different sources. The potential cost savings are considerable, with annual reductions of around £20 million being predicted.
It’s not all good news though, and there have already been concerns raised about the privacy implications of having all of this information recorded in one place. As the system is intended to record not only hard facts about criminal offences and cautions, but also intelligence or information which the police might have but which has not led to convictions. Privacy campaigners are concerned that the quantity of data held on the database could be significant, and potentially open the door to misuse.
Will Background Checks Improve?
In theory, a better, modern database system as compared to the outdated PNC should speed things up for anyone applying for a DBS check. This is particularly the case for enhanced applicants as the current process involves a search of the PNC for convictions and cautions, then a separate search on local police databases for intelligence related information which the police may choose to disclose. Having everything in one place should in theory make things quicker and easier, but it remains to be seen whether this actually happens in practice. Depending on the structure of the new database, this might mean changes to the form or the application process, so keep watching the press for details as they are announced.
