Policing: In brief (2)
01 November 1992
Data protection and police records: in the annual report of the Data Protection Registrar, Mr Eric Howe, says that there is a danger that the exchange of information, intelligence and criminal records between European police forces will infringe the rights of the individuals. The registrar also considered a request by the Metropolitan Police to retain 3,500 DNA profiles held as a result of investigations into serious crime such as rape and sexual assault. They later decided to destroy the profiles but asked that the profiles could be kept for a limited period for research purposes. The registrar agreed provided they were depersonalised and could not be linked by to individuals
POLICE, August 1992.
Police chief: "structural failure": Sir John Woodcock, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary who is responsible for the 43 police forces in England and Wales, told the International Police Conference that he did not believe in "bad apples...I think that the problem is not one of individual predisposition to [police] wrongdoing but of structural - or cultural - failure". For the criminal justice system to work it needs to be "trusted by the police" themselves. The present Royal Commission on Criminal Justice "will fail in any attempt to guarantee the integrity of police evidence unless the police service changes its culture dramatically", he said.
Guardian 14.10.92.
Anti-Terrorist Squad: Commander David Tucker has been appointed to head the Anti-Terrorist Squad (SO13) at Scotland Yard. He takes over from George Churchill-Coleman. In January 1993 the security service MI5 will formally take over the running of anti- terrorist work leaving SO13 and the Special Branch in a secondary role (see Statewatch vol 2 no 2).
Ivan Fergus: the 15-year old schoolboy imprisoned for robbery (see Statewatch, vol 2 no 4) has been released. A complaint by his mother about the quality of the legal advice the family received has led the Solicitors' Complaints Bureau closing down his solicitors.
Police inquiry: A third police officer has been suspended from duty at Stoke Newington Police Station. The station is at the centre of a corruption inquiry over allegations that police planted evidence and were involved in the re-selling drugs seized on the street (See Statewatch vol 2 no 2). The Hackney Community Defence Association has published a new report on corruption at the station. Fighting the Lawman can be obtained from the HCDA at The Colin Roach Centre, 10A Bradbury Street, Dalston, London N16 7JN. Tel. 071 249 0193.