Exceptional case/DNA Databases

Reference number: 
20110083
Request date: 
02/2011
Response date: 
09/03/2011 (All day)
Request details: 


1  On which date did your police force first recommend the deletion of samples from the police databases following an application from the arrested person that they were an Exceptional Case?
 
2  Once those samples were deleted, did you also delete the details of the arrest from your own force’s records?
 
3  If not what kind of details do you retain in that case and since? I.e. original crime report, fingerprint records, photos, custody records?
 
4  Who has access to the retained records kept on former CJ arrestees? I.e. is it routine for all the other UK or international police forces have access on request?
 
5  What is the rationale behind keeping records of people whose samples have been deleted under the Exceptional Case procedure? I.e. policing purposes?
 
6  What are the policing purposes that such records serve? I.e. does the police force use the information in the investigation of crime? Do the records acknowledge wrongful arrests? Does the crime stay recorded even if the former CJ Arrestee has proved a ‘no crime’?
 
7  What is the difference between the purpose of the records on the Police National Computer (PNC) and the records held by national police forces such as yours?
 
8  Can you provide a comprehensive list of the persons and/or the organisations who can obtain access to information on a) the PNC and b) your own Force’s records?
 
9  How do you reconcile the requirements of the IMPACT Programme with respecting the legal rights of CJ Arrestees and the general and specific standards expected by the Information Commissioner?

Exemptions Applied: 

Section 12 – Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit

SYP response: 

Your request has now been considered. I am unable to supply the information you have requested.

 

Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires South Yorkshire Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt), to provide you the applicant with a notice which:

a.  states that fact,

b.  specifies the exemption in question and

c.  states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

The following exemption applies to the disclosure of the information:

Section 12 – Exemption where cost of compliance exceeds appropriate limit

In relation to items 2 and 3 of your request:-

In order to determine if the information is held and locate, retrieve and extract such held information it would be necessary to conduct a physical review of all force records in relation to 105 individuals. This review would include the Crime Management System, the Custody Handling System together with manual records held at varying locations around the Force.