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IFMT_4_SN_015_PDF
Page 2 of 27 Use of Police ICT Version 2.2
© College of Policing Limited 2015
© - College of Policing Limited (the College) June 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, modified, amended,
stored in any retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior
written permission of the College or its representative.
The above restrictions do not apply to Home Office police forces who are licensed by the
College to copy and use this material for policing purposes within the police service of
England and Wales. Some restrictions apply and forces may not copy or use any part of this
material for audiences other than Home Office police personnel, distribute to third party
providers (including Higher Education or Further Education) or use for commercial purposes
without obtaining written agreement, in the form of a licence extension, from the College.
All enquiries about this product should be addressed to the Programme Management Unit
on +44 (0)1423 876741 or [email protected]
The College is committed to providing fair access to learning
and development for all its learners and staff. To support this
commitment, this document can be provided in alternative
formats by contacting the Programme Management Unit on
+44 (0)1423 876741 or
The College is committed to the promotion of equal opportunities. Every effort has been
made throughout this text to avoid exclusionary language or stereotypical terms.
Occasionally, to ensure clarity, it has been necessary to refer to an individual by gender.
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© College of Policing Limited 2015
Contents
1. Police National Computer (PNC) .................................................................................... 6
1.1 The source input document ........................................................................................ 8
1.2 The Bichard 7 Project ................................................................................................. 9
1.3 Wanted/Missing .......................................................................................................... 9
1.4 Disqualified drivers ................................................................................................... 10
1.5 Offence details ......................................................................................................... 10
1.6 How to enquire on a person record ........................................................................... 11
1.7 Searching by ID/Reference numbers ........................................................................ 12
1.8 QUEST ..................................................................................................................... 12
1.9 Vehicles on the PNC ................................................................................................ 13
1.10 Police reports ......................................................................................................... 16
1.11 Making an enquiry on the PNC vehicle application ................................................. 17
1.12 VRM enquiry ........................................................................................................... 17
1.13 Partial VRM enquiry ................................................................................................ 17
1.14 VIN enquiry ............................................................................................................. 18
1.15 Insurance details on the PNC ................................................................................. 18
1.16 VODS ..................................................................................................................... 19
1.17 Action to be taken when a vehicle is reported stolen .............................................. 19
1.18 Action to be taken when a stolen vehicle is found ................................................... 19
1.19 Property on the PNC .............................................................................................. 19
1.20 Information directories ............................................................................................ 20
1.21 Broadcast messages .............................................................................................. 21
1.22 Transaction log enquiries ........................................................................................ 21
1.23 Test Certificate (MOT) details on the PNC .............................................................. 21
1.24 Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR) ........................................................... 22
1.25 Schengen Information System (SISII) ..................................................................... 22
1.26 Relevant legislation ................................................................................................ 22
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2. The Police National Database (PND) ............................................................................ 23
2.1 The background to the PND ..................................................................................... 23
2.2 The purpose of the PND ........................................................................................... 24
2.3 Who has access to the PND? ................................................................................... 24
3. Revision Questions ....................................................................................................... 26
4. Key Legislation ............................................................................................................. 27
5. E-learning ...................................................................................................................... 27
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Authorised Professional Practice
These notes are aimed at learners completing their Initial training to meet the learning
outcomes specified on the National Policing Curriculum. The primary source of content is the
Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and the supporting evidence based research of
“what works” in policing.
APP can be found at: http://www.app.college.police.uk/
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These notes are for Pre-Join, Police Officers, PCSOs and IL4SC Phase 2.
1. Police National Computer (PNC)
The Police National Computer (PNC) was introduced in 1974. The computer is housed at
Hendon in North London and is accessible 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to trained
operators working on computer terminals located throughout the UK police forces, including
Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Other approved Government and non-
Government departments also have limited access.
There are standard operating procedures and legislation in place regarding the use of the
PNC, in addition to localised procedures. All staff must follow these and you should make
yourself familiar with them.
This section provides some basic details of the information held on the PNC, which is
relevant to the various areas of policing activities. The main applications relate to:
people
vehicles
property
information directories
broadcast messages.
In every organisation linked in to the PNC system, authorised operators enter information
onto or obtain information from it. As a police officer you are entitled to use the services of
the operators in your force to provide or to obtain this information. This information must be
used for authorised policing purposes only. You can make enquiries using a radio terminal, a
telephone or other local force systems.
When you ask an operator to carry out a PNC check, you will need to provide some basic
details. This information should always be given in the following order, as this is the order in
which the operator will record it:
the type of enquiry you require, e.g. a vehicle or name check
who you are (normally your force number or name)
where you are (this is important for security and for your own protection if you later
require urgent assistance as a result of the enquiry)
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why you want the enquiry, e.g. because you have arrested somebody or are checking a
parked car
the details you require to be checked, such as a vehicle registration mark.
Note: Some forces require other information to be provided as a further security measure.
The PNC stores information about millions of people who are of interest to the police. These
details are held in electronic folders indexed by the person’s name. However, it is possible to
access records using other reference details including driver number, Police National
Computer Identification Number (PNCID), Criminal Record Office number (CRO), AS (Arrest
Summons) number, passport and other identity numbers, or by other descriptive features.
There are three basic reasons why personal details are kept on the PNC:
wanted/missing and/or
disqualified driver and/or
subject of legal process, i.e. that a person has previously been convicted or cautioned for
certain offences, or has a case pending.
Each of these elements are described in more detail below.
Whatever the reason a person is on the PNC, the facility exists to store a wide range of
nominal and descriptive details. This can be useful in many areas of policing. The PNC is not
just for keeping records; it is an investigative and intelligence gathering tool.
The following list covers the main sections of information relating to people on the PNC. This
is available to you, provided that you and your colleagues collect the information in the first
place:
name, date of birth, sex, colour and height
physical descriptions including marks, scars, tattoos and piercings
any type of address used by the person, or places frequented by them
warning signals, for example that a person may be violent or suicidal, or that they may
carry weapons, firearms or drugs, or suffer from an ailment
cross-references to other records held on the PNC
link to records containing basic information concerning anyone who is either the holder of
or has made an application to be granted a shotgun, firearm’s or explosives’ certificate
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other names or dates of birth used by the person - referred to as ‘alias details’
nicknames
information of a policing nature, including that the person fails to appear at court, has
previously breached their bail conditions, has had DNA samples taken in the past, or
needs to have a DNA sample taken for another enquiry if they are arrested for something
else
availability of photographs of a subject
details of passports held and other ID numbers
details of personal characteristics, including specific mannerisms, styles of dress and
specialist skills
details of occupations, known associates and police officers who have specific
knowledge of the person.
PNC Names records can hold a vast amount of information on an individual, but you must
ensure that it is factual and accurate. It is your information. The extra few minutes spent
asking questions and carefully recording the information on descriptive forms could mean
the difference between detecting or not detecting future offences committed by that person.
1.1 The source input document
The most common document which is used to update the PNC with information is the
Source Input Document (SID); this form may be called something else in your force, for
example Phoenix forms. When a person is dealt with by the police for more serious offences,
the officer in the case will be required to complete this form. This document contains all the
details listed above, together with details of the alleged offences. It is vitally important that
you obtain as much accurate information as possible, because it is this information that will
be transferred to the PNC. Future intelligence and investigations could depend on
information gathered at this stage. As well as this, the Data Protection Act 1998 requires the
police to ensure that all information on the PNC is accurate and up-to-date.
It is usual to obtain the fingerprints of a subject at the same stage as completing an SID and
once all details have been input onto the PNC the fingerprints will be submitted to the
National Identification Service (NIS) at New Scotland Yard, London. The fingerprints will be
checked against previously taken ones and the NIS will confirm the person’s identity. If this
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is the first time a person has had their fingerprints taken, a new Criminal Records Office
(CRO) number will be issued at this point.
1.2 The Bichard 7 Project
The Bichard 7 project was developed in response to Recommendation 7 of The Bichard
Report 2004. This recommended that HM court services should take responsibility for the
transfer of information arising from court hearings and results from court case management
systems onto the PNC. As a result, an automated solution was developed (Bichard 7).
Court updates will ordinarily transfer straight through the Bichard 7 Solution onto PNC.
However some updates cannot be transferred or require further work. In this case authorised
staff are able to update PNC using the Bichard Portal. Once this is done the updates are
sent to PNC. It is important that this is done quickly to ensure that PNC is up to date.
1.3 Wanted/Missing
This element contains reports on people whose whereabouts are sought for a variety of
reasons. It is most important that you understand the responses provided to you for
enquiries in this section because not all persons who have a Wanted/Missing report
recorded are actually “wanted”. Extreme care is needed to avoid making unlawful arrests.
Instructions as to what powers are available to the police are often recorded within reports.
There are nine distinct types of ‘Wanted/Missing’ reports:
Wanted - for alleged criminal offences, for non-payment of a fine, or as a witness. These
should show a power, for example the power to arrest or wanted on warrant. There is
also a special category of Wanted Report for orders issued by a court. There are four
types of court order: Sex Offender Registration, Prevention from Harassment, Licensed
Premises Exclusion and Sports Ground Exclusion
Locate/Trace - to recover property, as a witness, to serve a summons, take a DNA
sample, or (in the case of non-payment of fine) serve a Means Enquiry Warrant
Abscond - from Prison, Youth Custody, Hospital (not voluntary), Care (care order under
the Children Act 1989), Detention Centre or Remand
Deserter - from HM Forces, known as Absent With Out Leave (AWOL)
Recall - Anyone who is to be recalled to detention following earlier release to Prison,
Youth Custody or detention Centre
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Missing - usually young, vulnerable, or in suspicious circumstances, where there is a
reason to be concerned for their welfare
Found - subjects who have been found and who cannot be identified, including dead
bodies, people experiencing loss of memory, and unconscious victims of crime or
accidents
Detained - this must be added whenever somebody with a Wanted, Abscond, Recall or
Deserter report is detained
Registered Sex Offender - Subjects who are required to register their name and address
with the police because they have been convicted of certain sex offences. This is the “Sex
Offenders’ Register”: any police action which may be required should be recorded. Once a
person has lawfully registered, this section is ‘for information only’ and there is normally no
power of arrest.
Note: Don’t forget, if you arrest a person you must do a PNC check. If you find that they are
wanted, a deserter, an absconder, or subject to a recall notice, you must arrange for a
‘Detained Report’ to be added to their record by a PNC operator. This will ensure that the
person will not be arrested for a second time (unlawfully) for the same offence and also
ensure that a printout is sent to any other force who is interested in the detained person.
1.4 Disqualified drivers
When a court disqualifies someone from driving, the court notifies the police who add the
details to the PNC. Details available include the date and length of the disqualification, the
court that imposed it, and whether the person has to pass their driving test again. The report
stays on the PNC for the duration of the disqualification period. The court also notifies the
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) who will liaise with the police to confirm the
details.
1.5 Offence details
The offence
Details of recordable offences (normally one for which it is possible to be imprisoned) are
recorded on the PNC once the SID has been completed. These details will stay on the
system unless the person is not proceeded against, or is found not guilty. Details of where
and when the offence occurred, the method to commit it and the crime reference numbers
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are all recorded. It is important to record as much information as possible for descriptive
searching purposes.
The arrest
The system also shows details of the officer in the case, when the person was processed,
and whether fingerprints, photographs and DNA samples were taken.
Remands/Bail
A court often does not deal with a case on its first appearance. In these cases, a date will be
set for the hearing to take place and the subject will either be remanded in custody or bailed
to reappear. If the person is bailed, conditions may be placed on the bail (for example that
the person must be at home by 8.00 pm every night). Details of all these court activities
should be maintained on the PNC. Likewise, details of bail granted by the police may also be
recorded on the PNC.
1.6 How to enquire on a person record
To look for a particular person’s record on the PNC, the operator will need as much of the
following information as you can provide:
Personal details
These must be provided to the operator in the following order:
Name: surname followed by any forename(s) - (e.g. Collier/Mark/Lee) to a maximum
total of 54 characters
Age: date of birth (e.g. 11/05/1960)
Sex: male, female or unknown
Colour: white/non-white or unknown
Height: in feet/inches, or metres/centimetres
These are often called the NASCH factors (Name, Age, Sex, Colour, and Height). As names
are not unique, this method of enquiry may produce a summary of personal records. It is
therefore important to provide as much accurate information as possible. Never guess any of
the details; if you are not sure of a person’s name ask them to spell it out for you.
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1.7 Searching by ID/Reference numbers
Various reference numbers can be present on a record and you need to be aware that they
exist to enable you to ask for the relevant search facility. They provide more direct access to
single records; the following numbers are searchable:
PNCID (PNC Identity Number): every record has one of these, which remains as long as
the record remains
CRO (Criminal Record Office): issued by NIS on the first occasion that a person’s
fingerprints are registered and confirmed
SF (Search File): an old type reference number not issued since May 1995. This referred
to records which were sent to the NIS without fingerprints, or with poor quality
fingerprints. You are unlikely to encounter many of these numbers
Driver number: the unique number allocated to a DVLA driver record
Arrest summons reference: a number generated by the PNC whenever details of
offences for which a person is being dealt with are added to the system
ID number: any identity numbers held by a subject can be recorded on the PNC.
Examples include National Insurance numbers, bank account numbers, passport
numbers etc.
LX number (local reference number): this number may refer to a file held on a local
intelligence system, or a force’s records system. There are different levels of references
held. It may indicate that a particular force is actively looking for intelligence on this
person
DNA barcode: Retrieved from the SIDs.
If you have any doubts about the use or interpretation of any of these reference numbers, or
any other element of the names application you should not hesitate to enquire with your
authorised PNC operator.
1.8 QUEST
QUEST (Queries Using Extended Search Techniques) allows a few specialist operators in
each force to search the PNC names database by various aspects besides name and
number. The system can be searched by:
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description
marks, scars and tattoos
previous offences
modus operandi
force/station codes
postcodes, including partial postcodes.
QUEST will work properly only if all officers correctly complete SIDs. Full attention must be
given, not only to the obvious details like marks, scars, and tattoos and so forth but also to
postcodes (not only of where the person lives, but where the offence was committed, the
places they frequent etc.).
Your PNC Liaison Officer will be able to tell you about your force’s procedures for different
types of offence and who is trained to perform your searches.
1.9 Vehicles on the PNC
The PNC contains details of millions of motor vehicles in the UK which are registered at the
DVLA. There is a regular update of information between the two organisations.
Vehicles registered in foreign countries, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Northern
Ireland, or with specific military style registrations, together with those that are not registered
and those on trade plates or imports, will not normally be entered on the PNC. However, a
facility does exist for such vehicles to be recorded if the police have a specific interest in
such a vehicle.
The DVLA record includes vehicle registration mark, the make, model, type of vehicle,
colour(s), the Vehicle Identity Number (VIN), engine number and capacity. The record also
shows details of the keeper’s name and address (including postcode), and the date of first
registration.
The DVLA also record other items of information in the form of ‘markers’. The more common
of these are:
Cherished transfer
where the number has been transferred to another vehicle after payment of a fee to the
DVLA
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V23 submitted
a marker indicating that the vehicle has suffered serious physical damage at some
previous time (i.e. ‘written off’)
Scrapped
notification has been received by the DVLA that the vehicle has been scrapped
VEL expired
the Vehicle Excise Licence has not been renewed for three months
VEL void
the Vehicle Excise Licence issued was obtained by a worthless cheque
Record query
the DVLA’s information has been queried, as no longer correct, by the police
Void
no administrative process has taken place in respect of the vehicle for the past three
years, after a further year the record will be deleted
SORN
(Statutory Off Road Notification) the keeper of the vehicle has declared that it is not kept
or used on a road
Notified Void by DVLA
indicates vehicle has an attached police report and will not weed off the system after the
normal four years, as per the void marker
Void Cherished Transfer
a cherished number has replaced the allocated VRM
Retain VRM
enables a keeper to retain a VRM for a year while the vehicle is not on the road. An
example of this is a cherished transfer VRM after the vehicle is considered a write-off
after a road traffic collision
Assigned BFG/MOD
a batch of VRMs is allocated to military personnel serving in Germany. A contact is given
on the vehicle record
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Blocked
a means of blocking keeper details, should an operational officer be using his/her private
vehicle during an investigation
No Longer Keeper
keeper has informed DVLA that they have sold the vehicle. The record will indicate the
date of sale
New V5
new style vehicle documentation has been issued to this vehicle
In Trade
part of the new V5 has been returned to DVLA indicating that the vehicle has been sold
to a garage
Police/Local Authority Notified
abandoned vehicle (seven days’ notice) under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978
Permanent Export
a vehicle that has had its purchase tax paid, but is now going to be permanently
exported
Direct Export
exported by the manufacturer directly after manufacture
Personnel Export
a vehicle to be exported by the keeper to an EU or non-EU country
In Confidence (Police Eyes Only)
details of this record are not to be communicated over an insecure communications
channel
Refer V5 DVLA
have noted a discrepancy with either the VIN or engine number
Police Exam Marker
this is placed on the vehicle after a VIN has been in dispute. After verifying the number is
correct, a qualified vehicle examiner only can authorise the entry of this marker.
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1.10 Police reports
If any vehicle becomes of interest to the police a police report may be added. You will
always be told of the presence of any report on a vehicle which you check.
The different types of report are:
Lost/Stolen Added when a vehicle is reported lost or stolen
Found Added when a vehicle is found apparently abandoned, or when
a stolen vehicle is found
Information This is used when there is evidence to suggest that the vehicle
is, or has been, used in criminal or suspicious activities, or
where the police want to trace the vehicle for any other reason
(e.g. if it has been involved in a road traffic collision)
Removed A report added when a vehicle has been removed by the police,
to avoid later suggestions that it may have been stolen
Restricted Added when details of the vehicle must only be given out in the
most confidential circumstances. There are occasions when
security of the record will be such that the keeper details are
totally ‘blocked’ from PNC operators; this report will be added to
provide information as to how they may be acquired
Correction A report added when the police find out that the DVLA details
are inaccurate, e.g. the keeper has changed, or the colour or
engine number has changed. As well as putting this report on
the vehicle, officers should let the DVLA know by sending a
Form V79. (The DVLA will show this as a ‘Record Query’
marker.)
Seen When a vehicle has been seen and checked in circumstances
worthy of note and which may be useful in further investigation,
i.e. suspicious or possibly stolen
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Destroyed This report is used where a vehicle has been ‘burnt out’,
normally after being stolen.
1.11 Making an enquiry on the PNC vehicle application
There are several ways of carrying out vehicle enquiries using this application:
VRM (Vehicle Registration Mark) enquiry
partial VRM enquiry
VIN (Vehicle Identity Number) enquiry
VODS (Vehicle Online Descriptive Search)
multiple searches up to 15 vehicles.
1.12 VRM enquiry
This is by far the most common enquiry. By providing the operator with the Vehicle
Registration Mark (VRM) a single record should be found. If this is not the case, then there
are a number of possibilities:
have you made a mistake?
has the PNC operator made a mistake?
could it be a new vehicle? (It takes several weeks before the PNC is updated after a
vehicle has been registered.)
could it be a foreign or Northern Ireland vehicle, military, import, unregistered or trade
plates?
could it be on false number plates?
1.13 Partial VRM enquiry
If only part of a registration mark has been obtained then you may still be able to search the
PNC. Pass as much detail of the vehicle as possible to your operator who will tell you if a
check is possible.
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1.14 VIN enquiry
Where no VRM is available, e.g. with a burnt out vehicle or an off-road motorcycle etc., the
Vehicle Identity Number (VIN) is searchable. This is often referred to as the chassis number.
You can normally find the VIN on a plate under the bonnet but it might be in other locations
too and your force will have manufacturer’s guides for different types of vehicle to assist you
to find it.
1.15 Insurance details on the PNC
It is possible to obtain details of a vehicle’s insurance from a PNC vehicle check. The details
will relate to a vehicle as opposed to a person. The check must only be conducted if grounds
to request this information exist.
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) considers access via PNC to the Motor Insurance
Database (MID) as appropriate for all police officers, special constables, police staff and
police community support officers when the purpose of the check is to determine, on that
day, whether a vehicle on the road has a record of insurance on the MID.
The MIB also considers it appropriate for multiple checks of the Motor Insurance Database
(MID) to take place, where there is present at the time, the capability and capacity to
immediately stop the vehicle should the MID indicate that no insurance details are held.
These changes have been made to clarify the position which previously caused some
confusion as to who could access this information. The situation is not quite as straight
forward and the following points should be borne in mind.
1. This allows for PCSOs to check the MID. However it remains the decision of the Chief
Constable to decide whether they would wish their PCSOs to be involved with this work.
This does not mean that PCSOs can now seize uninsured vehicles; refer to your own
force policy for actions to take when discovering an uninsured vehicle.
2. The MID can only be checked on the day of the enquiry.
3. You are now able to check a vehicle whilst it is moving provided you are subsequently
able to actually stop the vehicle. This means you no longer have to stop the vehicle first.
4. You are able to check a vehicle to see if there is a record on the MID to ascertain
compliance with Section 143 the Road Traffic Act 1988 (no insurance). It cannot be used
for any other purpose, including that of obtaining intelligence.
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If there is no record of insurance returned to the operator performing the enquiry, it does not
mean that the driver is uninsured. It may simply mean that the database may not have been
updated with the current cover, so if in doubt issue a HORT1 (if your force still uses these).
1.16 VODS
The Vehicle Online Descriptive Search (VODS) facility is a specialist tool available to just a
few operators in each force. With VODS it is possible to search the PNC for vehicles even if
no numbers are known by using a combination of description and location. This facility can
also be used to obtain a list of vehicles registered to a specific postcode. This is now
available to most PNC operators. By using the appropriate code, an operator has the ability
to search on a postcode and relate to you all vehicles registered to that postcode.
1.17 Action to be taken when a vehicle is reported stolen
Firstly, carry out a PNC enquiry on the VRM. The vehicle may have been checked since
being stolen and have a report added to indicate its current whereabouts. If not, ask for a
stolen report to be added to the record; you will need to pass details of when and where the
vehicle was stolen and to verify the keeper details.
1.18 Action to be taken when a stolen vehicle is found
In addition to any local procedures and matters relating to the crime, you should request that
the PNC operator adds a found report. This is most important as a failure to do so may result
in the keeper being arrested in possession of their own vehicle.
It is important that the keeper informs the police once the vehicle has been recovered - all
stolen and found reports will then be removed.
1.19 Property on the PNC
The PNC holds details of certain types of property; however, unlike the vehicle application,
property will only be recorded on the PNC if it has been reported to the police as lost/stolen
or found.
The types of property held on the system are:
Plant Items of machinery used in agricultural, engineering or construction industries
(e.g. diggers and concrete mixers). It does not include hand-held machinery
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Engines Details of any engines, except marine engines (see below), including engines
from stolen vehicles listed on the vehicle application
Trailers Including caravans, sidecars, lorry containers, single and multi-axle trailers
Animals Any animal which has been uniquely marked in some way, e.g. tattooed,
microchip implant
Marine Items which include boats, marine engines, jet skis, hull and sail numbers
Firearms Any firearms, including imitations
Details required for both entry and enquiry for items of property include a serial number or
other identifying number(s). What the numbers are will depend on the type of property, e.g.
marine craft may have a sail number, and an item of plant may have an engine number, and
so on. Advise the PNC operator of any number or part number that you can find, together
with a description of the property. Your PNC operator may be able to advise you about the
standard location of specific reference numbers.
Again, in the absence of any numbers there is a facility to carry out a descriptive search on
any item of property. Any descriptive features can be input for a search across the whole
property application or focused on up to five force areas. This facility also has the capability
to give intelligence, e.g. the number of firearms stolen/found in a force area over a stated
period of time.
1.20 Information directories
The PNC provides a series of information directories which contain:
A list of all organisations, police and non-police, who are connected to the PNC
A list of contact addresses, phone and fax numbers within any organisation connected to
the system (e.g. details of all police stations are recorded)
A list of all courts within the United Kingdom
A list of all offences and statutes within the United Kingdom
A list of post centres, i.e. B: Birmingham; LN: Lincoln.
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1.21 Broadcast messages
The PNC contains a message system for transmitting details of any important incident which
requires urgent action to be taken. Broadcasts can be sent to any force, any group of forces
or to all forces, or to all airports and seaports. This is a fast, free and secure system that is
closely monitored to avoid misuse or abuse.
1.22 Transaction log enquiries
Every transaction carried out on the PNC is recorded. As well as assisting with auditing the
PNC, this facility is an investigative tool in its own right.
Firstly, it allows supervisors to check the accuracy of information entered by their operators,
and to guard against misuse of the system. As part of this auditing process, you may be
asked by a supervisor to explain why you carried out a particular check. (Do not rely on
memory - a Pocket Notebook entry is always a good idea.)
Secondly, because the system stores details of who has carried out what checks, this can be
used in investigations. Details are kept on the system for up to 12 months. For example, if
you are investigating a burglary and a witness gives details of a vehicle that was seen
driving away then, as well as checking the vehicle application, you can also ask the operator
to check whether this vehicle has been checked by other officers anywhere in the country. If
it has been checked, you can contact the other officers involved because, like you, they will
have given information about who they are, where they were and why they wanted the
check, and all this will be available to you.
The PNC continues to be a major tool in crime prevention and investigation and its scope is
continuously increased.
It is possible to have access, via the PNC, to details of all driving licences held by persons
within the country. You are able to establish if they have passed their driving test for any
particular class of vehicle, as well as other DVLA information held.
Other additions include a register of all firearm and shotgun certificate holders.
1.23 Test Certificate (MOT) details on the PNC
Computer generated certificates have now replaced the A5 certificates. The authenticity of
computer generated certificates is checkable via the PNC which will show an MOT expiry
marker.
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1.24 Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR)
ViSOR is a UK-wide system used to store and share information and intelligence on those
individuals who have been identified as posing a risk of serious harm to the public.
ViSOR is designed to facilitate the work of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements
(MAPPA) by assisting cooperative working between the three “Responsible Authorities”
(police, probation and prison services) in their joint management of individuals posing a risk
of serious harm.
ViSOR is currently used by all police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland. The database is also used by HM Forces and other specialist police units and
agencies, including the Probation Service, and in Scotland by the Criminal Justice Social
Work Services and the Scottish Prison Service Intelligence Bureau.
The offender categories currently recorded in ViSOR are Registered Sexual Offenders,
Other Dangerous Offenders, Violent Offenders, Other Sexual Offenders and Potentially
Dangerous Persons.
There is an electronic interface between ViSOR and the PNC Names application.
1.25 Schengen Information System (SISII)
The SISII is a European data system designed to allow police officers access to alerts
issued by member states or countries in respect of persons, vehicles and objects.
The system is fully in place and is linked to the PNC, and when an appropriate PNC check is
carried out a simultaneous check will take place on the system. If a ‘hit’ occurs, the screen
will indicate the nature of the alert and the action to be taken by the officer requesting the
check.
1.26 Relevant legislation
The Data Protection Act 1998 sets rules for processing personal information and applies to
some paper records as well as those held electronically. This legislation has been
complemented by the Authorised Professional Practice on Information Management and the
Computer Misuse Act 1990.
As the PNC holds personal information it is subject to strict rules governing disclosure and
misuse. Contravention of these rules could lead to disciplinary and legal action that could
carry a custodial sentence. The PNC must be used for policing purposes only.
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2. The Police National Database (PND)
2.1 The background to the PND
The Police National Database (PND) was introduced in June 2011 in response to the
murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman which were committed by Ian Huntley in
August 2002 in Soham.
Between 1995 and 1999 eleven separate criminal allegations against Ian Huntley came to
the notice of the police and social services. Nine of these allegations related to sexual
offences including rape, sex with underage girls and indecent assault on a child.
When Ian Huntley moved to Soham in 2001 he applied for a job as a school caretaker. After
passing the vetting and police checks in Cambridgeshire he was given the job. None of the
previous allegations were picked up. The deaths of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman
marked a turning point in the way in which information is handled by the police.
Sir Michael, later, Lord Bichard led an enquiry into the murders. The Bichard Report which
was published in June 2004 made a total of 31 recommendations. The number one
recommendation from the enquiry was the following:
“To deliver an effective, integrated, national, regional and local information sharing
intelligence capability.”
The PND was developed and launched in June 2011 in response to the Bichard Report. The
PND allows police forces and other law enforcement agencies for the first time to directly
immediately and electronically access, share and search local information at a national level
thus meeting the critical recommendation made by Lord Bichard.
The existence of PND means that time and resources are saved and improvements are
made to the following areas of policing
Risk assessments
Decision making
Information sharing
Disclosure e.g. employment vetting
Cross border detection and prevention e.g. serial stranger rape
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Ability to compile bad character evidence.
The PND aims to deliver against three strategic benefits:
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
Countering terrorism
Preventing and disrupting crime.
2.2 The purpose of the PND
The main purpose of the PND is to share locally held information on People,
Organisations, Objects, Locations and Events nationally where these records have been
recorded locally within one of the following five key areas of investigation:
Crime
Custody
Intelligence
Child Abuse
Domestic Abuse.
Each organisation provides data which is loaded into the PND. The PND separates
information into the following categories.
People (including organisations)
Objects (such as vehicles, telephone numbers, weapons, drugs etc.)
Locations (this category could include post codes, specific buildings or locations such as
parks etc.)
Events (Custody, crime, intelligence, child abuse records, domestic abuse records)
The above are often referred to as POLE categories.
2.3 Who has access to the PND?
All police forces in the UK plus other law enforcement agencies including the National Crime
Agency and British Transport Police upload information to the PND. These agencies can
also view the data held within the system.
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The appropriate use of PND
The PND must only be used for policing purposes. The policing purposes for which PND can
be used are as follows:
protecting life and property
preserving order
preventing the commission of offences
bringing offenders to justice
any duty or responsibility of the police arising from common or statute law.
PND must only be used to research lawful, necessary, proportionate, relevant and
realistic tasks.
All data contained on the PND has to comply with the Government Security Classifications
(GSC). Data is classified into three distinct categories. These are:
Official
Secret
Top Secret
These classifications are explained in a little more detail in Handling Information and
Intelligence.
When a search is conducted on PND it is essential that all the information is recorded
regarding the search to ensure that there is an appropriate policing purpose for the specific
information being requested and that the request is fully auditable.
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3. Revision Questions
What are the five main applications of the PNC?
What order should you give information to the PNC operator when asking them to
carry out a PNC check?
Why might personal details be kept on the PNC?
How is information on the PNC updated?
What are the nine different types of wanted/missing reports?
What does the mnemonic NASCH stand for and when would you use it?
What additional PNC names database searches can be conducted using
QUEST?
What information does a DVLA vehicle record include?
What markers may be added to a vehicle record on the PNC?
Why might a police report be added to a PNC vehicle record?
What types of lost/stolen or found property may be recorded on the PNC?
What is ViSOR?
What is Schengen?
What is the main purpose of the Police National Database (PND)?
What appropriate policing purposes can the PND be used for?
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4. Key Legislation
Computer Misuse Act 1990
Data Protection Act 1998.
5. E-learning
In addition to these notes the following e-learning is available via the College of Policing
Managed Learning Environment (MLE):
PND Overview for All. (This resource is not available to learners on the Certificate of
Knowledge in Policing Programme.)
This piece of e-learning is owned by the Home Office. It can be accessed through your
pnn address. The learning can be accessed at the location below
http://elearning.pnd.pnn.police.uk
SISII Alerts: An Introduction to the Schengen Information System (SISII). (This resource
is not available to learners on the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing programme.)