Police National Computer

The Police National Computer (PNC) is a database used by law enforcement organisations across the United Kingdom and other non-law enforcement agencies. Originally developed in the early 1970s, PNC1 went 'live' in 1974, providing UK police forces with online access to the lost/stolen vehicle database. The vehicle owners application quickly followed, giving the police online access to the names/addresses of every vehicle owner in the UK.

The Police National Computer started holding nominal information based on the computerisation of criminal records held by the Metropolitan Police and other police forces in the late 1970s. These CRO records could be accessed online in real-time by all UK police forces via the "Names" applications.[1] The PNC now consists of several databases available 24 hours a day, giving access to information of national and local matters.[2] As of 18 January 2021, Kit Malthouse said that there are 13 million person records,[3] 58.5 million driver records, and 62.6 million vehicle records stored on the PNC.[4] The PNC is currently directly managed by the Home Office. Between 2007 and 2012, it was maintained by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) which inherited the activities of the now disbanded Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO).

  1. ^ "Use of the Police National Computer" (PDF). His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. April 2017. p. 5. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Use of the Police National Computer" (PDF). His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. April 2017. p. 12. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Police National Computer Volume 687: debated on Monday 18 January 2021". Hansard. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Alexander Babuta, 'Big Data and Policing: An Assessment of Law Enforcement Requirements, Expectations and Priorities', RUSI Occasional Papers, September 2017.'" (PDF). Retrieved 5 March 2018.