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Guidance on the management of police information
This non-technical guidance sets out a framework for the effective management of police information. It covers the collection, recording and evaluation of information as well as giving guidelines for sharing police information with others, including CDRPs and other agencies. It sits alongside the code of practice on the management of police information issued in July 2005 as part of of the Government's response to the findings of the Bichard enquiry. The guidance provides a common national framework for the management of police information, highlighting the importance of common standards in high risk areas of activity.
Title: Guidance on the management of police information
Author: National Centre of Policing Excellence, on behalf of ACPO
Number of pages: 125
Date published: April 2006
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The guidance describes policing purposes relating to information management. These policing purposes are deliberately high level and inclusive. They do not describe every policing activity and do not supersede or replace any existing legal power or duty on the police. That reference is not made to specific activities (for example, roads policing, protection of children and vulnerable adults, or counter-terrorism) does not mean that these are not a legitimate activities for the purposes of police information management.
The development of the guidance has been incorporated into the IMPACT programme in recognition of the importance of nationally agreed processes and standards for the management of police information (the IMPACT programme is the activity being undertaken following the post-Soham Bichard review of police information use). This guidance is not technical in nature, and does not describe the functions or operations of a particular information management system.
The Code and guidance are subject to a nationally agreed implementation strategy. This involves the definition of threshold standards drawn from the Code, guidance and supporting documentation that will be subject to a phased implementation. These standards sit outside the guidance itself but are part of the overall package that chief officers will have regard to under the terms of the Police Act.
The phased implementation of The Management of Police Information is in recognition of the challenging agenda that this represents for the Police Service at a time of considerable change. In line with the link to the IMPACT programme the focus of activity in phase one will be on information held in six business areas referred to above. The emphasis for the first phase will be on the standards on infrastructure, policy, processes and procedures. Further phases will follow (subject to understanding the full impact across the Police Service), and will progressively raise standards of police information management. This process will also require the review of this guidance in light of the experience of implementation and the roll-out of the capability provided by the IMPACT programme. Compliance for phase one should be achieved by 31 March 2007.
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Last update: 13 April 2006