PROTECT ACPO Criminal Records Office Overview of Police Information Management and Child Abuse Investigations 1960 to 2012 Document information Document status & version Final v1.0 Date of publication 17th December 2012 Author(s) David McKinney, Andrea Jackson, Fred Richards, Michael Scott, Heather Bullimore and ********** S40 Owner ACRO Disclosable under FOI Yes GPMS PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT PROTECT Executive Summary On the 7th November 2012, in response to the seriousness and scale of the allegations of child abuse by the late Jimmy Savile, the Home Secretary formally commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to review the recording and investigation of these and related allegations by police forces across England and Wales. Following the Home Secretary’s instruction to the HMIC, liaison was made with the ACPO Criminal Records Office (ACRO) in order for the organisation to impart its specialist knowledge and expertise regarding criminal record management, policing systems and public protection. Henceforth, the following terms of reference were issued to ACRO from the HMIC: Terms of Reference 1. Starting from January 1960 what primary or secondary legislation, guidance, recommendations, including from the Bichard and Magee reviews, or administrative guidance from any source has governed, or required adjustment in practice in relation to, the recording, reporting, review and retention of police information and intelligence? 2. Can you overlay onto the answer to question 1 an account of the introduction, purpose and, where it has been required, decommissioning, of police systems (paper or electronic) for the handling of information and intelligence. 3. What systems are used for the inward and outward transmission of intelligence and information to international organisations and partners; and are there any obvious differences of approach (e.g. French ownership of certain kinds of information lying with the magistracy not the police, approaches to disclosure of information in other jurisdictions etc). 4. Provide a summary of the development of child abuse investigations and processes. In response to the aforementioned terms of reference, this report is presented to the HMIC in order to inform the Specialist Operations team of the significant changes and developments in policing practices from 1960-2012, specifically regarding the management and exchange of police information and child abuse investigations. The principal method of data collection in the compilation of this report has been the research and analysis of primary literature information sources. Such sources have included primary and secondary legislation, official guidance documents, government inquiry reports and relevant academic literature. In order to effectively demonstrate the evolution of policing practice over the preceding five decades however, the ACRO research team also adopted the method of police practitioner interviews. This stage of research includes 15 interviews with police professionals whose operational experience ranges from 1951 to present day. The report consists of five core sections. A high level summary of each section is presented below: Management of Police Information and Intelligence This section presents and summarises a series of legislative acts relating to the domains of police information management, crime investigation and prosecution and child protection. This section denotes key developments in the 1980s and 1990s regarding the professionalisation and regulation of police investigations and improvements to the criminal justice systems response to child abuse investigations. Overview of Police Information Management and Child Abuse Investigations 1960 to 2012 – Final v1.0 Page 1 of 131 PROTECT PROTECT The latter part of this section presents a summary of recommendations and guidance regarding the management of police information. The production and dissemination of such direction in the 1980s and 1990s respectively, was prompted primarily by the government’s response to the perceived failings of the police in the retention and exchange of critical criminality information and the investigation of major crimes. Police Systems This section provides commentary to the development of police information systems since 1960. Summary information is provided regarding the progression from manual and localised police crime index systems in the 1960s to the introduction of sophisticated nationally-interfacing police databases that record police criminal record and intelligence data today. Police Information and Intelligence Exchange This section is divided into two areas which summarise the development of information and intelligence exchange mechanisms both domestically within the United Kingdom (UK) and on an international scale. Historical reference is made to common police communication practices as early as 1960, in which information exchange lacked structure and consistency. Developments are marked through the introduction of ******************** S23 in 1965, national systems for crime recording (the Police National Computer- PNC) in 1974 and the implementation of a national major crime investigation computer capable of linking across borders (HOLMES) in 1986. The international sharing of police information was stated to be irregular and restricted between the 1960s-1990s. Improvements to proactive and routine information exchanges are referenced to the creation of the European Union (EU) and the resulting Frameworks for criminal record notification and request exchange. Enhanced international police co- operation at the turn of the century, in reaction to globalisation and transnational criminality, also prompted increased police co-operation via the INTERPOL network of National Central Bureaux (NCBs). Child Abuse Investigations This section provides commentary of the significant improvements to the Police Service’s response to and management of child protection and safeguarding today. It is reported that since enhancements have been made to the way in which victims and witnesses of sexual abuse are supported by authorities, reports of abuse and convictions of child sex offenders have dramatically increased over the last 20 years. Reference is made to developments in legislation, guidance, training, multi-agency partnerships, joint investigations and the formation of dedicated Public Protection Departments, and the subsequent positive impact on child abuse investigations. Practitioner Interviews In order to demonstrate key developments in policing practice regarding information management and child abuse investigations, the ACRO research team undertook 15 interviews with police practitioners. Each respondent was interviewed in accordance to a structured data collection sheet, which was composed of the following question areas: the evolution of police and public cultures; investigation; the reporting and recording of crimes, and the retention and exchange of Overview of Police Information Management and Child Abuse Investigations 1960 to 2012 – Final v1.0 Page 2 of 131 PROTECT PROTECT information and intelligence (within Force, cross-county borders, nationally and internationally). This section highlights advancements in the police’s response to information recording and exchange (principally the transference of local manual crime index systems onto central computer systems) and also identifies relevant challenges that were faced by operational officers since the 1950s. Looking into the Future It should be noted that significant developments in child protection have been made since the 1960s. Whilst no guarantee can be made that the ‘seriousness and scale of alleged child abuse by the late Jimmy Savile1 could be repeated, recommendations following the Cleveland Inquiry in 1987 have reduced the risk of a repeat of such alleged criminality. Contemporary practice is defined by an enhanced level of interaction between the police and other agencies within the child protection and safeguarding arena. Significantly, the thorough investigation of allegations by the police is subsequently evaluated and reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Whereby allegations and the associated evidence is insufficient to support a prosecution, critical information and intelligence will be uploaded onto the Police National Database (PND) for future reference, should further allegations be made against a subject. It must be noted however, that aside from such progressions, the success of any child abuse investigation is undoubtedly underpinned by the victim’s report. Due to the very nature of such criminality, despite vast improvements to the police’s response to reports of child abuse, the continued prevalence of under-reporting by children prevents the fully effective identification and conviction of child sex offenders. 1 Source: HMIC online; ‘Announcements’, updated 7th November 2012, http://www.hmic.gov.uk/news/announcements. Overview of Police Information Management and Child Abuse Investigations 1960 to 2012 – Final v1.0 Page 3 of 131 PROTECT PROTECT Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................8 1.1 Key Events Summary Timeline .......................................................................................................11 2 MANAGEMENT OF POLICE INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENCE ......................18 2.1 Legislation Relating to the Recording, Reporting, Review and Retention of Police Information and Intelligence